Improvements in Casters.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Aplication, 9th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 13th Mar., 1897
Improvements in Casters.
1, HENRY ILL, of 108 Adams Street, in the City of Newark, County of Essex, and
State of New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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 has reference to improvements in casters, and has for its primary
object to provide an inexpensive and simple construction of caster socket adapted
for use in the tubular posts or supports of iron or other like furniture.
The invention therefore consists in the novel construction of a caster as hereinafter
set forth, comprising a caster socket, a disc having spring-tongues adapted to hold
the socket by frictional engagement in the tubular support of the piece of furniture,
and a centering or guiding disc, movably arranged on the socket, said parts being
arranged in the manner and for the purposes to be hereinafter fully specified.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a caster made according to my present invention,
illustrating the same in position in a tubular support of a piece of furniture, said
support being represented in vertical section.
Figures 2 and 3 are horizontal 'cross sections, taken on lines a and y, respectively,
in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a bottom view of the easter socket, and Figure 5 is a vertical section
of the same.
Figure 6 is a view similar to that represented in Figure 1, illustrating the
relative positions of the disc provided with the spring-tongues and the centering
disc, when the socket is about to be forced into its operative position in the end of
the tubular support of a piece of furniture.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the disc provided with the spring-tongues.
Similar letters of reference are employed in all of the above described views to
indicate corresponding parts.
In said views a indicates the usual form of caster frame provided with the
downwardly extending brackets or horns a¹, which are perforated to receive a pin b
on which is rotatively arranged the usual form of roller or wheel 6', as clearly
illustrated in Figure 1.
On the top plate a², connecting the two brackets or horns a', is an upwardly
extending post or pintle e provided with the form of washer c' and a collar c². The
upper end of said post or pintle c is provided with a saw-cut or slot and two
oppositely arranged portions, formed with suitable enlargements e³ for the purposes
to be more fully set forth hereinafter.
The caster socket; comprises therein, à tubular shank d which is provided at the
top with a slightly turned over edge d' and suitable indentations d² therein, to securely
hold a disc e in a fixed position on the top of said shank, as clearly illustrated
n Figure 5.
Said disc e; which is made from sheet metal, is formed with an upwardly and then
downwardly extending edge-portion e¹ having any desirable number of cut away
portions or slots e² to form the spring-tongues e³, substantially as shown.
The lower end of said shank d has its edge d³ turned over to form a bead, and
novably arranged on said shank, between said bead and the disc e, is a washer
or disc provided with the upwardly curved projection f¹ and a flat part f

page_text: surrounding the same, substantially as illustrated in the several figures of the
drawing.
The maximum diameter of the disc e is normally slightly greater than the inner
diameter of the post or support g of the piece of furniture, whereby, when said disc e
is forced into said support or post, the spring-tongues e will become slightly depressed
and will firmly grip the inner cylindrical surface of the said support or post g and
hold the socketed shank d by friction in its operative position therein.
]
To insert these parts into the said support or post g, the washer or disc f is slipped
up on the shank d against the under side of the disc e, and the parts forced into the
hollow post or support g, as indicated in Figure 6. The upwardly curved
projection on said washer or disc f being of the same diameter as the inner
diameter of the tube g, the surrounding flat part f³ will be caused to firmly bear
against the surrounding edge g of the tubular support g, and in driving the shank
and its disc e up into said support, said washer will act as a guide to cause the
central arrangement of the shank and disc e in said tubular support g, and hence
will prevent the jamming of the said parts in the said hollow post or support g and
will prevent the inoperative arrangement of said parts therein, and the pintle or
post e in said socket or shank d will be perfectly centered and rotatively arranged
therein.
When the said pintle or post c is forced into said tubular shank d, the portions c
are compressed as they slide through said shank, and will open out as soon as they
have passed the upper edge of the shank d, the enlargements con said portions <*
becoming arranged above the upper edge d' of the shank, which secures the post or
pintle c in its operative and rotative position in the said hollow shank d, as will be
clearly understood from an inspection of Figure 1.
The collar con said pintle or post c is rotatively arranged against the lower
edge d³ of the shank d.
The operation of the device will be apparent. From an inspection of Figure 1, it
will be evident, that the caster and its post or pintle can be readily withdrawn from
the hollow socket d when desired by a sudden pull on the wheel or roller b¹ in the
caster frame a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a caster, the combination, with a tubular shank, of a washer or disc, as f,
movably arranged thereon, said washer or disc having an upwardly extending
projection and a disc on the upper end of said shank, having spring-tongues,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In a caster, the combination, with a tubular shank, of a washer or disc, as f,
movably arranged thereon, said washer or disc having an upwardly extending
projection f and a disc on the upper end of said shank, having an upwardly and
downwardly extending edge e' provided with cut away portions e³, and spring-
tongues es, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. In a caster, the combination, with a tubular shank d having a bead d³, of a
washer or disc f, having an upwardly extending projection and the surrounding
flat part 2, and a disc on the upper end of said shank, having an upwardly and
downwardly extending edge el provided with cut away portions e², and spring-
tongues e³, substantially as and for the purposes set forth."
Dated this 31st day of December 1898.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
HENRY ILL.
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.