Improvements in or relating to Furniture and like Casters.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Furniture and like Casters.
I, EMILE FRUTON, of 95, Boulevard Beaumarchais, in Paris, in the Republic of
France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to improvements in ball bearing casters for furniture
and other purposes, whereby the articles to which the casters are applied becomes
more easily movable than when castors of ordinary construction are used.
The improved caster consists chiefly of a cup, destined to support, say, the leg of
the piece of furniture. This cup rests on a shackle or fork by means of balls
enabling these two parts to move on one another in a horizontal plane.
The number of balls may vary according to the size of caster or their disposition
therein.
A square headed screw passes through both parts and in order to prevent the two
parts from separating it may be provided with projections. The head of the screw
has a hole enabling the screw to be screwed into the leg or article to be supported, by
a simple nail or pin.
The shackle carries the caster roller. These casters may be made of any suitable
material, such for instance as metal, wood, etc., but in order to make them as cheap as
possible, I prefer to provide them with a padding or outer surface of leather, wood,
card board, rubber, etc., supported by stamped out metallic parts.
Instead of using a screw for securing the cup to the article, a rod may be used
engaging with a spring socket or any other suitable part secured to the article to be
supported.
When a piece of furniture having casters according to the present invention is
pushed or pulled, the rollers immediately take up their position in the desired
plane, the shackle rolling on the balls. Thus carpets or floors are not damaged as is
the case with ordinary casters.
For bedsteads made of metal (copper steel etc.) the screw may be completely
dispensed with and the cup may be made of a suitable form capable of being screw-
threaded, so that it may be screwed on to the lower ends of the leg of the bedstead.
Dated this 15th dose of A1 1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or relating to Furniture and like Casters.
I, EMILE FRUTON, of 95, Boulevard Beaumarchais, in Paris, in the Republic of
France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
[Price 8d.]

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
The present invention relates to improvements in ball bearing castors for furniture,
railway trolleys and other purposes, whereby the article to which the castors are
applied becomes more easily movable than when castors of ordinary construction are
used.
To better explain the nature of my invention, I have represented in the
accompanying drawing an improved ball-bearing castor by way of example.
Figure 1 is a cross section of the castor shown in side elevation.in Figure 2.
Figures 3 and 4 show a modification.
Figures 5 and 6 show sections of forms of the castor rollers the parts p¹ being formed
by stamping.
The improved castor consists chiefly of a cup C (Fig. 1), destined to support, say,
the leg of the piece of furniture. This cup rests on a shackle or fork A by means of
balls Benabling these two parts to move on one another in a horizontal plane.
The number of balls may vary according to the size of castor or their disposition
therein.
A square headed screw L preferably of wood, passes through both parts, and in
order to prevent the two parts from separating it may be provided at e with projections.
The head of the screw may have a hole o enabling the screw to be screwed into the
leg or article to be supported by means of a simple nail or pin.
The fork A carries the castor rolier P. These castors may be made of any suitable
material, such as instance, as metal, wood etc., but in order to make them as cheap as
possible I prefer to provide them with a padding or outer surface p of leather, wood,
cardboard, rubber, guttapercha, porcelain, etc., (Figures 5 and 6), supported by stamped
out metallic parts p¹ which may if desired, be connected by tubes, rivets, or bolts
and nuts.
Instead of using a screw for securing the cup to the article, a rod L³ may be used
(Figures 3 and 4) engaging with a spring socket L2 or any other suitable part secured
to the article to be supported which in Figures 3 and 4 is marked M.
When a piece of furniture having castors according to the present invention is
pushed or pulled the rollers P immediately take up their position in the desired plane,
the fork A rolling on the balls B. Thus carpets or floors are not damaged, as is the
case with ordinary castors.
In some cases for instance for bedsteads made of metal (copper, iron, etc.) the screw
may be completely dispensed with and the cup C may be made of a suitable form
and screw-threaded, so that it may be screwed on to the lower end of the leg of the
bedstead.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A ball bearing castor for furniture and other articles, constituted by a cup
destined to receive the furniture-leg or part to be supported and resting on balls on
a shackle or fork carrying the roller, the cup and the fork being connected and held
together by means of a screw passing through holes made to receive it substantially
as described.
2. In a ball-bearing castor of the character described the substitution for the
connecting screw of a flanged rod engaging with a spring-socket or the like arranged
in the interior of the furniture-leg or part to be supported, substantially as described.
3. A modification of the ball bearing castor described consisting in dispensing
with the central screw and providing the cup with a screw thread enabling it to be
screwed on to the lower end of a furniture leg or part to be supported, substantially
as described.
4. Wheels or rollers for castors manufactured of any suitable material, such as
leather, wood, card-board, gutta-percha, or porcelain carried in stamped or cast

page_text: metallic supports which parts may, if desired, be connected by tubes, rivets or bolts
and nuts, substantially as described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete ball
bearing castor substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, or in
Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.