Improvements in Furniture Castors.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application; 28th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 30th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1888
Improvements in Furniture Castors.
JAMES VERNON of Newton Stewart, Scotland, Upholsterer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the present invention is to effect an improvement in Furniture Castors,
and thereby render them more durable and efficient than heretofore.
In castors of ordinary construction, there is considerable sideway strain upon the
central pivot and the attachments, owing to the mounting of the wheel outside the
direct centre of support. This mode of mounting is adopted for the purpose of
providing sufficient leverage to ensure the trailing of the wheel, in whatsoever
direction it is necessary for it to travel. In heavy furniture, such as Couches, Easy
Chairs, Pianos and the like, the superimposed weight is so great as to cripple the
ordinary lever castor in a very short time.
Now I propose to obviate this disadvantage in the following manner :-
I construct a castor having an ordinary attachment plate or cup, and I provide it
with a pair of wheels. These wheels are mounted upon parallel stud axles carried
on either side of a rotating boss situated directly beneath the centre of support.
The stud axles being parallel with each other, but not in line, one wheel is always
in advance of the other, and the weight of the Furniture is borne equally between
them. Thus, sideway strain is removed from the central pivot pin and the other
parts of the castor, and at the same time the relative positions of the two wheels will
provide for the turning of the same on their common pivot, when the direction of
travel is desired to be changed.

page_text: I JAMES VERNON of Newton Stewart, Scotland, Upholsterer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to bo
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of the present invention is to effect an improvement in castors for the
legs of tables, chairs, and other furniture, and thereby render them more durable and
efficient than heretofore.
In castors of ordinary construction, there is considerable sideway strain upon the
central pivot and the attachments, owing to the mounting of the wheel outside the
direct centre of support. This mode of mounting is adopted for the purpose of
providing sufficient leverage to ensure the trailing of the wheel in whatsoever
direction it is necessary for it to travel. In heavy furniture, such as couches, easy
chairs, pianos and the like, the superimposed weight is so great as to cripple the
ordinary lever castor in a very short time.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown a castor constructed according to my
invention wherein this disadvantage is obviated.
Fig. 1 is a front sectional elevation of the castor, and
Fig. 2 shows in plan the castor wheels.
The castor is provided with an ordinary attachment cup A (or a plate and screws
may be employed, if preferred) and a pair of wheels B B. These wheels are mounted
upon parallel stud axles ce carried on either side of a boss C, situated directly
beneath the centre of the cup A, and rotating on a pivot D fixed thereto. The
stud axles ce, being in parallel lines, the wheels are always one on either side
of the centre of gravity, and the weight of the furniture is therefore borne equally
between them.
Thus, sideway strain is removed from the central pivot pin D and the other parts
of the castor, and at the same time the relative positions of the wheels (one being
always in advance of the other) will provide for the turning of the same on their
common pivot when the direction of travel is desired to be changed.
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
Constructing furniture castors with two wheels mounted upon axles placed on
parallel lines on opposite sides of a centrally situated rotating boss, so that one wheel
is always in advance of the other, in the manner above described and for the purpose
set forth.