Improvements in Castors for Bedsteads and other Moveable Furniture.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 26th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 4th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Castors for Bedsteads and other Moveable
Furniture.
We, JAMES ALFRED CRANE of 43 Villa Road Handsworth in the County of
Stafford, Modeller, and SAMUEL ILSLEY WHITFIELD of Hawkesley, Moor
Green near Birmingham in the County of Worcester, Manager, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our improvements consist of the use of antifriction steel balls in castors in such
a manuer that they serve a double purpose, namely, to retain the castor horn upon
the peg on which it revolves and to reduce the friction.
We turn or form around the castor peg, which in the case of a bedstead may be
formed of the cast iron of the foot, a sunk neck and turn or form a corresponding
circular recess around the inside of the hole in the castor horn, so that when the
two parts are brought together the sunk neck and circular recess meeting face to
face form a circular tubular shaped channel inside which one or more steel balls
may fit and revolve.
We introduce the ball or balls through a hole drilled from the outer surface of
the castor born into the circular recess, which hole we afterwards fill up by a screw
or other means.
It will be understood that one or more balls having been introduced into the
circular tubular shaped channel formed one part in the castor peg and the other
part in the interior of the castor horn it will not be possible for the castor born to
drop or to be taken off its peg until the ball or balls have been taken out and as
the hole through which they were introduced has been filled up this is not
possible.
It is obvious that the parts may be so arranged that the weight of the furniture
may be thrown onto the points of junction between the ball or balls and the
internal parts of the castor into which they fit aud that the friction of the castor
horn turning on the peg will be much reduced by their presence.
To apply this improvement to an article which already has an ordinary peg cast
into or attached to its foot we apply to it a tubular jacket with the sunk neck
turned or formed on the outside thereof, which may be held on by rivetting or
other convenient means.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1895.

page_text: 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 :-
Our invention consists of the method or methods hereinafter described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings for connecting the horn part carrying the
bowl or roller of the castor to the peg on which the said horn swivels, by our
invention the said horn part of the castor can be readily detached from the castor
peg and the packing and transit of articles of furniture having castors thereby
facilitated and the injury to or breaking of the said horns and their bowls which
frequently happens during transit when they are permanently attached to their
pugs is avoided.
Our invention is applicable to swivelling castors in which the horn part swivels
upon the peg cast in the foot block of the metallic leg of the furniture or upon the
peg carried by the castor plate or socket and can be applied to all kinds of
bedsteads, cots, and other articles of furniture either of metallic or non-metallic
material.
In carrying our invention into effect and by any of the methods herein illustrated
or similar methods we adopt a system of introducing an antifriction steel ball or
balls into the castor born in such a manner that shall serve a double purpose
namely to retain the castor horn upon the peg upon which it revolves and to
reduce the friction.
We proceed to describe our invention with the assistance of the accompanying
drawings similar letters of reference upon which relate to similar parts on the
several figures. Figure 1 represents inside elevation and Figure 2 inside elevation
partly in section one method according to our invention of attaching the horn of a
swivelling castor to the castor peg of metallic bedsteads and furniture.
A is the foot block of the metallic leg of the article of furniture B is the peg
cast in the said foot block which peg is provided with an annular groove or
channel C cast or turned therein the sleeve or tubular part of the castor horn D
Figure 2 which fits onto the said peg B is also provided with a corresponding
anuular groove or channel E cast or turned in its interior walls so that when the
castor peg B is in position within the horn D the two semi-circular annular
grooves C. E. coming face to face form a circular annular groove or channel as
seen in Figure 2. From the outer surface and in this case preferably at the back
of the tubular part or sleeve D of the castor horn is drilled a bole F which is
wormed and which leads horizontally into the annular grooves, by means of this
aperture F we introduce a steel ball G (or more than one) which is intended to
serve the double purpose before alluded to, that is, in retaining the castor horn
upon the peg upon which it rotates and in reducing all possible friction to a minimum,
and also providing a ball bearing (or bearings) for the castor.
A screw pin H takes into the drilled hole and so prevents the ball G (or balls)
from leaving the said annular grooves. It will be readily seen that the steel ball or
balls when placed in the grouves formed as shewn the one half in the castor peg
and the corresponding half in the castor horn it will be impossible for the castor and
horn to drop or to be taken off until the ball or balls has or have been taken out by
the release of the screw pin H.
In order to apply our improved method of attachment of the castor horns to the
pegs, when the peg cast or attached to each foot block may be of so small a
diameter as not to allow of an annular groove being formed upon same, we provide
a jacket or sleeve I, and pass it over the castor peg B Figures 4 and 5 the jacket
or sleeve in this case has an annular groove or channel C on the exterior of same
corresponding to a similar groove E in the castor horn D the ball or balls being
passed in by means of the aperture F and retained in position by a screw pin Hin
manner described above, the jacket or sleeve I may be securely attached to the
castor peg by rivetting or other convenient incans.
Figure represents in side elevation partly in section an arrangement we
sometimes adopt for the use of a single ball bearing the castor horu D is formed

page_text: with a vertical cylindrical part J, having a concave base K for the reception of the
hall G upon which the convex base of the castor peg B rests, the said castor peg is
loosely held in position by the set screw H which passes through an aperture into a
grooved neck L.
Although the set screw H in this case is not intended to take a bearing in the
neck L we may when desired cause it to do so and dispense with the ball G.
We may state that the castor peg may when preferred not be cast or attached
permanently to the leg of the bedstead or furniture.
It will be obvious that the parts may be so arranged that the weight of the
furniture may be thrown onto the points of junction between the ball or balls and
the internal parts of the castor into which they fit, and that the friction of the
castor horu turning upon the peg will be much reduced by their presence.
Various modifications other than those described and illustrated may be made in
carrying our invention into practical effect without departing from the essential
particulars of the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
Firstly. In castors for metallic bedsteads cots and other furniture attaching the
borus or swivelling parts in such a manner as to permit of their detachment from
the castor pegs that is by the application and use of an annular grooved castor peg
in combination with an annular grooved castor horn, and the introduction and use of
a steel ball or balls, acting as ball bearings substantially as described and
illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Secondly. In castors attaching the horns or swivelling parts in such a manner as
to permit of their detachment from the castor peg that is by drilling the said
castor horn to permit the steel ball or balls to be introduced in combination with
the retaining screw pin in connection therewith as set forth.
Thirdly. In castors for metallic bedsteals and other furniture attaching the
horns or swivelling parts by means of a loose jacket or sleeve rivetted on the castor
peg or otherwise attached the said jacket having an annular groove and a
corresponding annular groove in the castor horn in combination with the steel ball
or balls and retaining screw piu substantially as set forth and illustrated in
Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Fourthly. In castors attaching the horns or swivelling parts in such a manner as
to permit of their detachment from the castor peg that is by the use of a
cylindrically hollowed out horn having a concave base in combination with a ball
bearing and necked castor peg and retaining screw all for the purpose substantially
as described and illustrated in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Fifthly. And generally we claim the berein described improvements for attaching
and detaching the horns or swivelling parts of castors by the means or other similar
acting means for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 25th day of November 1895.
EDWD. J. PAYNE & SON,
104, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Patent Agents for the Applicants.