IMPROVE- MENTS IN CASTORS
Year: 1884

page_text: We, SAMUEL THORPE, Carpenter and Joiner and WILLIAM CHAMBERLAIN,
and ARTHUR CHAMBERLAIN, Framesmiths, all of Wigston Magna, in the County
of Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CASTORS," to be as follows:-
"
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of what are known
as ball castors" to be employed in connection with various articles of furniture
and for other similar purposes.
At the lower end of the frame of the castor is a space made of an inverted cup
form, the interior of which is hardened, and the surface thereof polished or other-
wise rendered perfectly smooth. A number of small balls are inserted into the top
of the said space, and a larger ball is so placed beneath the same as to confine
them, and to project beyond the lower edge of the frame; which edge is then
The
turned down and finished, so as to retain the balls within the said space.
upper portions of the small balls, work within a circular groove formed within
the top of the said space, and around a projection in the centre of the said
groove, and a sufficient number of them, to fill the said groove, are employed.
Instead of arranging the small balls within a groove as lastly described we, in some
cases, arrange a portion of each ball to work within a semi-circular or similar
recess; formed within the top of the said space. When the weight of the article
to which the castors are applied is brought to bear on the same the large ball is
forced slightly upwards and is thus caused to bear solely on the smaller balls,
rendering the moving of the said article, of whatever weight it may be, perfectly
easy and noiseless, it will, therefore, be found specially suitable for beds for
invalids.
T L
1711 fifth day of Tenuery in the year of our Lord One thousand

page_text: We, SAMUEL THORPE, Carpenter and Joiner, and WILLIAM CHAMBERLAIN,
and ARTHUR CHAMBERLAIN, Framesmiths, all of Wigston Magna, in the County
of Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of our Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CASTORS," and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of what are known
as "ball castors" to be employed in connection with various articles of furniture
and for other similar purposes.
At the lower end of the frame of the castor is a space made of an inverted cup,
or other suitable form, the interior of which is hardened, and the surface thereof
polished or otherwise rendered perfectly smooth. A number of small balls or
spheres are inserted into the top of the said space, and a larger ball or sphere is so
placed beneath the same as to confine them within the frame, and to project beyond
the lower edge of the frame, which edge is then turned down and finished, so as to
retain the balls or spheres within the same. The upper portions of the small balls
or spheres work within the upper part of the frame of the castor, in the centre of
which is arranged, in some cases, a projection. Instead of arranging the small
balls or spheres loosely within the upper part of the frame as lastly described, we,
in some cases, arrange a portion of each ball to work within a semi-circular or
similar recess, formed within the top of the frame of the castor. When the weight
of the article to which the castors are applied is brought to bear on the same the
large ball or sphere is forced slightly upwards and is thus caused to bear solely on
the smaller balls or spheres which bear at their upper sides against the inner surface
of the frame of the castor thereby rendering the movement of the said article, of
whatever weight it may be, perfectly easy and noiseless, it will, therefore, be found
specially suitable for beds for invalids.
We will now proceed to refer to the accompanying drawings from which the
nature of our said Invention will be more clearly understood. Figure 1. is an
elevation of a castor constructed in accordance with this invention, Figure 2. is an
exterior view of the frame of the same before the lower edge has been turned
down to retain the balls or spheres in position, Figure 3. is a view of a castor, partly
in section, constructed as firstly herein before described, and Figure 4. is a similar
view of a castor in the upper part of the interior of the frame of which is a
projection around which the smaller balls or spheres work. The same letters of
reference indicate like parts in all the Figures. a. are the smaller balls or
spheres, b. is the larger ball or sphere, and c. is the lower edge of the frame of the
castor.
It will be readily understood that the balls or spheres are always so arranged
within the frame of the castor that the distance between the top of the larger ball
or sphere and the surface of the frame of the castor is never sufficient to allow of
the passage of the smaller balls or spheres, and it is desirable that the number of
the latter employed be such that they form a ring so as to work one against
another.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
In the construction of ball castors the arrangement of a number of small balls.
or spheres between the upper part of a large ball or sphere and the interior surface
of the frame of the castors, substantially as, and for the purposes hereinbefore
set forth and described.
Dated the twenty fifth day of October One thousand eight hundred and
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicants.