IMPROVE- MENTS IN CASTORS FOR CABINET FURNITURE
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Ellisdon, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Designer and Cabinet Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CASTORS FOR CABINET FURNITURE."
Sealed the 23rd May 1856, and dated the 23rd November 1855.
-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Ellisdon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 23rd
November 1855.
I, JOSEPH ELLISDON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Designer and
5 Cabinet Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
:PROVEMENTS IN CASTORS' FOR CABINET FURNITURE" to be as follows:-
This Invention is applicable to the various descriptions of castors upon
which articles of cabinet furnituro are mounted; and these castors are so
constructed that they will turn within a small space, and at the same time the
O weight of the article which is supported thercon is brought nearer to the axle-
tree of the wheels which roll upon the floor, thereby diminishing the risk of
breaking or straining the horizontal rotating arm, upon the end of which the
rollers are mounted.
To construct a castor according to this Invention, the socket or plate (as the
5 case may be) is formed in the ordinary manner, having a fixed spindle or axle

page_text: projecting downwards from the bottom thereof, which it is preferred to form
tapered from the under side of the socket or plate towards the lower end.
On this vertical axle is fitted a short arm, which rotates horizontally upon the
vertical spindle. On each side of the outer end of the horizontal rotating arm
is formed an axle, upon which are mounted two wheels (one on each side of
the rotating arm), which roll upon the floor parallel to each other. The two
travelling wheels on the castor may be mounted vertically parallel to each
other, but it is preferred to set them so as to bring the soles of the wheels
closer together.
Where large rolling wheels are required, the axles upon which they are
mounted are cranked, by which arrangement large travelling wheels can be
used without unduly raising the furniture to which the are fitted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Ellisdon in the Great Seal. Patent Office on the
23rd May 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
ELLISDON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Designer and Cabinet
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the. Twenty-third day of November, in the of our
year
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Ellisdon, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph-Ellis-
don; my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times hereafter 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 FOR CABINET FURNITURE," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I; the said Joseph Ellisdon, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describo 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 noxt and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Ellisdon, 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 (that is to say):-
:
This Invention is applicable to the various descriptions of castors upon
which articles of household or cabinet furniture are mounted. These castors
are so constructed that they will turn within a small space, and at the same
time the weight of the article of furniture which is supported thereon is
brought nearer to the axletrees of the wheels which roll upon the floor,
thereby diminishing the risk of straining or breaking the horizontal rotating.
arm. The vertical pin or bearing upon which the horizontal rotating arm
works I form tapered (or conical), to maintain a perfect contact between the
two parts when reduced by wear; and the travelling wheels (of which there are
two on each castor, one being mounted on each side of the outer end of the
horizontal rotating arm), have no tendency to come off their axles, by reason;
of the axle arms upon which they are mounted being so formed as to project
slightly downwards; and which also causes the soles of the wheels to be
brought nearer together, thereby facilitates the turning of the castor within a
limited space.
>
To construct a castor according to this my said Invention, I form the
socket, plate, or screw plate (as the case may be) in the ordinary manner.
On the centre of the bottom (or under side) of which I form an inverted
truncated conical projection, to insure greater strength of metal to support the
fixed spindle or axle, which projects downwards from the centre of the bottom
thereof. This vertical axle I form with a collar to abut against the lower end
of inverted truncated conical projection, and with a shank above, which pro
jects upwards through the centre of the cone into the inside of the socket (or
upper side of the plate), where it is securely rivetted. Below the collar a
vertical tapered axle is formed, upon which I fit a short horizontal arm so as
to revolve thereon. The spindle and socket (or plate and spindle) may be
formed in one piece, but I prefer forming the socket (or plate, as the case
may be,) with the inverted truncated projection on its under side in one pieco,
and the vertical spindle with its collar and shank in another, as herein-before
described. Through the outer end of the horizontal rotating arm I pass
transversely a stout pin, which projects sufficiently at each side to form the
axle arms, upon which I mount the two travelling wheels which roll upon tho
floor parallel to each other. The axle arms I form so as to project slightly
downwards, to cause the wheels to keep well up towards their inner bearings,

page_text: and prevent them having any tendancy to come off their axles; and at the
same time, by this arrangement, I am enabled to bring the soles of the wheels
closer to each other, and the wheels flanging outwards from the bottom enables
them to clear the conical projection, so that I can, if required, use larger
wheels than those ordinarily employed. The horizontal rotating arm and the
axle upon which the travelling rollers are mounted can be formed in one
piece of metal, but I prefer to make them in two pieces, in the way I have
described..
When I want to construct castors with extra large rolling wheels I use a
cranked axletree to mount them upon, by which method I can use large
travelling wheels without unduly raising the furniture. to which they are
applied.
To secure the wheels upon their axles, I slightly reduce the thickness of the
extreem ends of the axle arms so as to form a shoulder; I then slip on a
washer and rivet it down; I also use the same method to secure the horizontal
rotating arm upon the vertical spindle.
When this Invention is applied to metal furniture, such as iron and brass
chairs, bedsteads, and so forth, I propose to construct the vertical spindle upon
which the horizontal arm works in one piece with the leg of the article so
fitted.
"
That this my said Invention may be the more readily seen and understood,
I have hereunto annexed Drawings of two "socket castors constructed
according to my plan. Like letters marked thereon denote similar parts.
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a two-inches socket castor, full size;
Figure 2 is an external side elevation of ditto; and Figure 3 is the front
elevation of the same; Figure 4 is the front elevation of a two-inches socket
castor, with my improved cranked axletree applied thereto.
A, the socket, which has B, an inverted truncated conical projection formed
on the bottom of the socket, through which passes the upper shank of C, a
fixed spindle, upon which revolves D, a short horizontal rotating arm, fitted
with E, an axletree; e, the axletree arms, upon which are mounted F, F, two
travelling wheels, which roll upon the floor; f (Figure 4), crank arms of the
'axletree.
7
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and how the same is or may be performed, what I claim is,―
1stly, the construction of castors substantially and in the manner herein-
before described.
2dly, constructing two-wheeled castors with a vertical tapered pin or axle

page_text: for the horizontal arm to rotate upon, and mounting the travelling wheels so
as to flange outwards from the soles of the wheels, substantially and in the
manner herein-before described.
3rdly, and lastly, the use and application of crank axletrees to castors, as
herein-before described.
In witness thereof, I, the said Joseph Ellisdon, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
JOSEPH (L.B.) ELLISDON:
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER.