Improvements in Furniture Casters.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Furniture Casters.
I ROBERT COLEMAN WAYNE of Louisville in the County of Jefferson and
State of Kentucky, United States of America, Merchant, 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 consists in new and useful improvements in furniture casters
wherein the weight is thrown upon a spherical body resting upon the floor, which
spherical body in turn bears against a series of anti friction ball rollers held in a
circular groove or channel in the upper portion of the shell within which the balls
are held.
The invention has special reference to the details of construction and the method
of producing the finished article of commerce whereby I am enabled to produce a
finished caster equally durable as those now on the market, at the same time
possessed of features of special advantage to commend it to users.
In this class of articles it is desirable that the caster should be simple, that it
may be economically manufactured and also compact, durable and easy to operate,
that it may commend itself to purchasers. My improved caster is formed of metal
in general, though the ball-D-may be formed of porcelain or glass if desired
and will be understood from the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is
elevation of my caster finished ready for use; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical
section section through the same and also shows the same view of the finishing die
in which the final bending of the shell is made; and Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view
of the shell-A-and its prongs-B.
In practicing my invention I form the shell-A-prongs-B-and shank-C-
of metal, either cast or drop forged into shape with an annular channel in the
upper portion thereof in which channel runs the balls-E. Bearing on the
balls-E-is the sphere-D-which is large enough to project a considerable
distance beyond the edge of the shell A, and, preferably nearly or quite one
third of its diameter, while the spurs or prongs-Bare bent centrally inward
so as to grasp the ball-D-and hold it to its position, bearing lightly on the
balls-E.
After the shell A, spurs B-and shank-C-are formed as described I drop the
anti friction balls-E into their channel, then place the sphere-D-in the
shell A and put the whole into the dies-F-G-and compress the prongs or
spikes B-towards the center of the shell-A-so as to hold the balls in their
proper position.
The shell may be made of ductile metal so as to be capable of being drawn and
the prongs B-may be omitted if desired, in which case the shell-A-should be
drawn in at its outer edge so as to retain the balls in place after they are inserted.
The shank C-may be omitted and an ordinary attaching plate common to
furniture casters substituted if desired.
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:
A furniture caster formed of an outer shell of one piece of metal, an annular
seat formed therein for anti friction balls, bearing balls held therein a spherical
support bearing on said balls at one side of its equatorial line, and against the floor

page_text: at its opposite pole, the shell being formed of ductile metal and drawn in to hold
the balls in position to form a caster substantially as specified.
Dated this 15th day of December 1892.
R. HADDAN,
Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, Agent for Applicant.