Year: 1886

page_text: I EDGAR NEWMAN of 3 Western Villas, Burnham in the County of Essex,
Secretary do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The chief object of the present invention is to construct a castor for household
furniture which will not be liable to get out of order and become inoperative,
owing to the severe strains to which castors must always be subjected.-A castor
constructed according to my invention, will be found to fulfil the above require-
ments, and will also be capable of being constructed to any size for the purpose of
carrying platforms and other heavy bodies, the position of which it is sometimes
desirable to change.
In carrying out my invention, I construct a castor of a ball divided into two
parts mounted upon an axle, which axle is mounted in another axle transverse
thereto, and lying between the two flat surfaces of the divided ball-The second or
main axle is mounted in bearings in a fork attached to a plate or cup which is
intended to be secured to the chair or table or other article of furniture in an
ordinary manner.
The ball or running portion of a castor thus mounted is capable of a double
movement or action, in directions transverse to each other.-In the first place, it
may turn upon or with the axle which carries it, and secondly, the main axle
carrying the first axle may come into play, and allow the first axle to rotate upon
the main axle in the direction of its own length, carrying the ball with it, thus
providing for the movement of the article of furniture in directions transverse, or
at right angles, to each other, a combination of the two movements being also
possible. I find, however, that there is a dead point when the ball or runner is
resting upon the point of the axle which carries it, and motion is required in the
direction of the length of the main axle.-To overcome this dead point, I provide a
ring surrounding the two half balls, and passing through the main axle.—This ring
is capable of turning freely upon the ball, and effectually prevents or overcomes
the dead point above referred to.
Instead of carrying the axle of the ball or runner in a main axle lying between
the divided halves of the said runner, I may make the main axle take the form of
a hoop, which surrounds the runner, and bears the ends of the axle on which the
runner rotates. In this case the runner need not be divided, but may be solid

page_text: The hoop is provided with trunnions turning in bearings within the fork of the
attaching cup or plate, and is so flattened out at its sides (where are the bearings
for the ends of the axle of the runner) as to form, with the runner, a practically
even and continuous running surface, in a direction transverse to the line in which
the runner will rotate upon its own axle.
-
Around the outer surface of the hoop above mentioned, is a leathern or other
flexible band, capable of slipping freely over the said hoop.-This band performs
for the hoop the same office as the ring for the ball in the first described arrange-
ment, viz, the overcoming of a dead point, which arises, in this case, when the
hoop rests upon the ground, and motion is required in the direction transverse to
the direction of its own rotation.
From the above description it will be understood, that that part of the castor
which, for the time being, may be resting upon the ground, is immediately under
the centre of its attaching cup or plate, and therefore the weight of the furniture
is borne in a direct vertical line, and lateral straining of the parts, as is common in
ordinary excentrically mounted castors, is avoided.

page_text: Improvements in Furniture Castors.
I EDGAR NEWMAN of 3 Western Villas, Burnham in the County of Essex,
Secretary 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 :-
The chief object of the present invention is to construct a castor for household
furniture which will not be liable to get out of order and become inoperative,
owing to the severe strains to which castors must always be subjected.-A castor
constructed according to my invention will be found to fulfil the above require-
ments, and will also be capable of being constructed to any size, for the purpose of
carrying platforms and other heavy bodies, the position of which it is sometimes
desirable to change.
In carrying out my invention, I construct a castor of a ball divided into two
parts mounted upon an axle, which axle is mounted in another axle transverse
thereto, and lying between the two flat surfaces of the divided ball.-The second
or main axle is mounted in bearings in a fork attached to a plate which is intended
to be secured to the chair or table, or other article of furniture, in an ordinary
manner.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings,-
Fig. 1 represents my improved castor in front elevation attached to the leg of a
table, and
Fig. 2 shows the castor in side elevation.
Fig. 3 is an underneath plan view of the castor.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view, on the line
of Fig. 3, and
Fig. 5 is a plan of the main axle detached.
The same letters of reference denote the corresponding parts throughout the
figures.
a a is the divided ball or running portion of the castor, of any suitable material,
and b is the axle upon which it is mounted. This axle b is carried by, and turns
in a metal plate c forming the main axle (see detached view Fig. 5), set at right
angles thereto, and lying between the halves of the divided ball or runner a a―
The plate or axle c is provided with trunnions, which turn in bearings carried by
the forked arms of the castor frame.
The ball or running portion a thus mounted is capable of a double movement or
action in directions transverse to each other.-In the first place it may turn upon
or with the axle b, which carries it; and secondly the main axle c, carrying the
first axle b, may come into play, and allow the axle b to rotate upon the main axle
in the direction of its own length, carrying the ball with it, thus providing for the
movement of the article of furniture in directions transverse, or at right angles to
each other, a combination of the two movements being also possible.-I sometimes
find it advantageous to provide a ring d surrounding the two half balls a a, and
passing through slots in the main axle c.-The chief use of this ring is to prevent
the ball from resting upon the ends of the axle b, which constitute dead points,
when motion is required in the direction of the length of the axle c.-The ring is
.

page_text: however capable of turning freely upon the ball, thus allowing the furniture to
travel upon it if the dead point should not be immediately overcome.
From the above description it will be understood, that that part of the castor
which, for the time being, may be resting upon the ground, is immediately under
the centre of its attachment, and therefore the weight of the furniture is borne in
a direct vertical line, and lateral straining of the parts, as is common in ordinary
excentrically mounted castors, is avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The application to a castor of a ball or runner capable of rotating on two
axles set at right angles to each other, as and for the purpose described.
2. Constructing a castor with a divided ball or running portion mounted upon
two axles set at right angles to each other, in the manner shown and described
with reference to the drawing, and for the purpose set forth.
3. Providing the doubly acting balls or runners of castors with a ring or strap
substantially in the manner shewn and described, for the
purpose set forth.