Improvements in Ball Castors.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 1st Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 6th Jan., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ball Castors.
I, RICHARD HAMBLY HUGHES of 96 Clarence Road, Lower Clapton in the County
of Surrey, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has special reference to ball castors in which the runner ball at the
top works against a ball, point or points, or faces or a ring and in a horizontal plane
slightly above the centre of the runner ball works against three or more rollers balls
or points. These various bearings or bearing parts are arranged in a separate cup
frame or fitting (or it may be a fitting in two parts) such as described in the Pro-
visional Specification of Heath's patent application of 19th February 1887. In order
to obviate or decrease the noise now experienced in such castors I form or provide
one or more holes through the body of the castor and through the aforesaid interior
cup or fitting and I find this effectual for the purpose. To keep the runner ball
from dropping out of the body of the castor I form the latter with say three lower
prongs one (or more) of which is fitted with a movable end piece of any convenient
form and which after, the runner ball has been placed in position in the castor is
screwed into its prong so as to prevent the possibility of the runner ball dropping
out; at the same time by unscrewing the said movable piece the ball may at any
time be removed. Instead of three four or more prongs may be used but not so
advantageously. The prongs terminate just under a horizontal plane passing through
the centre of the runner ball. The aforesaid bearing balls in some cases work in
recesses in the prongs instead of in a separate fitting. In some cases 1 form the body
of the castor with prongs forming bearings for the bearing balls said prongs being
capable of being bent inwards after the runner ball has been inserted. Or instead of
forming the body of the castor with such prongs I in some cases form the lower part

page_text: thin and spin it to a smaller size after the runner ball has been put in. Instead of
the aforesaid inner metallic cup or fitting containing the bearing balls and for the
purpose of lessening noise and also cheapening the cost I sometimes use a cup
pressed up or moulded or formed of leather, India rubber, celluloid, hard wood or
similar material and form it with through holes for the aforesaid bearing balls which
then work against the interior of the body of the castor; or I may form it with
recesses instead of holes. The aforesaid cup may be made in parts.
Dated this 1st day of March 1887.

page_text: Improvements in Ball Castors.
I, RICHARD HAMBLY HUGHES of 96 Clarence Road Lower Clapton in the County
of Middlesex Engineer 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 my
invention will be understood by the accompanying drawings wherein I
have illustrated some suitable modes of carrying it into effect.
Figure 1 is a side view and Figure 2 a vertical section of a ball castor in which
the runner ball A at the top works against a ball B and at a horizontal plane slightly
above the centre of the runner ball A the latter works against three (or more) balls C
Cor. it might be rollers or points). These various bearings or bearing parts are
arranged in a separate cup cup frame or fitting D shewn separately at Figure 3 (or
it may be a fitting in two parts such as described in the Final Specification of Heath's
Patent application of 19th February 1887). In order to obviate or decrease the noise
now experienced in such castors I form or provide one or more holes through the
body of the castor, and through the aforesaid interior cup or fitting D, and I find
this effectual for the purpose. In the example here shewn the forin of the fitting D
is open or three pronged (but it might be cup-shaped with one or more holes through).
The balls C may work in recesses in the pronged cup D or in holes formed
therein. F is a ring screwed on to the body E after the runner ball A has been
inserted.
In some cases as illustrated by Figure 4 in order to keep the runner ball A from
dropping out of the body E of the castor 1 form the latter with say three lower prongs
one of which is fitted with a movable end piece of any convenient form such for
instance as the screwed knob E' which after the runner ball A has been placed in the
castor is screwed into its prong so as to prevent the possibility of the runner ball
dropping out at the same time by unscrewing the said movable piece E¹ the ball A
may at any time be removed. Instead of three prongs four or more prongs may be
used but not so advantageously. The prongs terminate just under a horizontal plane
passing through the centre of the runner ball.
In some cases I form the body of the castor with prongs as at E in Figure + but
rather thinner so as to be capable of being conveniently bent and which form bearings
for the bearing balls C.
Or instead of forming the body of the castor with such prongs I as shewn in the
elevation Figure 5 and vertical section Figure 6 form the lower part of the body E
thin and spin it to a smaller size after the cup or three pronged part D with balls D
and C and runner ball A have been put in.
In the elevation Figure 7 and vertical section Figure 8 I have shewn a castor in
which the body E of the castor is cast with two or more openings for the purpose of
lessening noise the arrangement otherwise being as in Figures 1 and 2.

page_text: Instead of the aforesaid inner metallic cap or fitting D containing the bearing balls
and for the purpose of lessening noise and also cheapening the cost I sometimes use
a cup D pressed up or moulded or formed of compressed paper composition or papier
maché, leather or leather flock compound, or india rubber, celluloid, hard wood or
similar material and form it with through holes for the aforesaid bearing balls which
then work against the interior of the body E of the castor; or form the said inner
part D with recesses instead of holes. The aforesaid cap D may be made in parts.
Having now particularly described the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
First In a ball castor forming the body of the castor with three prongs, one of
which is fitted with a movable piece for the purpose of retaining the runner ball in
the castor substantially as set forth.
Second: In a ball castor, such as herein described, perforating the interior bearing
part or cup, or forming or moulding the same of a material such as described, for the
purposes of lessening noise and cost of production substantially as described.
Third-The improved construction of ball-castor substantially as set forth.
Dated 1
1
1001.
RICHARD HAMBLY HUGHES.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.
RICHARD HAMBLY HUGHES.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.