IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CERTAIN DESCRIPTION OF CASTOR, AND IN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING CERTAIN PARTS OF SUCH CASTORS, WHICH APPARATUS MAY ALSO BE APPLIED FOR PRODUCING ROUNDED BODIES FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF A CERTAIN DESCRIPTION OF CASTOR, AND IN APPARATUS FOR
MANUFACTURING CERTAIN PARTS OF SUCH CASTORS, WHICH APPARATUS MAY
ALSO BE APPLIED FOR PRODUCING ROUNDED BODIES FOR OTHER PURPOSES."-A
communication from abroad by Jean Baptiste Germain Clergeau, of 33,
Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, France.
Sealed the 30th August 1861, and dated the 27th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
June 1861.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CERTAIN DESCRIPTION OF CASTOR, AND IN APPARATUS FOR
MANUFACTURING CERTAIN PARTS OF SUCH CASTORS, WHICH APPARATUS MAY ALSO BE
APPLIED FOR PRODUCING ROUNDED BODIES FOR OTHER PURPOSES," Communicated to
me from abroad by Jean Baptiste Germain Clergeau, of 33, Boulevard Saint
Martin, Paris, France, to be as follows:-
This Invention, first, relates to improvements in the construction of the

page_text: castors, patented by Joseph Felix, on 9th November 1858, No. 2508, which
consisted of a socket or inverted cup, holding a ball and receiving a disc or
knob, with smaller balls free to travel about it.
The Invention also relates to apparatus for manufacturing the smaller balls,
applicable also for producing rounded bodies for other uses.
The terms " upper" and "lower" used in this description relate to the
castor when in its regular or usual position supporting the article to which it
is applied.
According to the present improvements the cup or socket which is cast in a
single piece is turned or formed true or smooth at the inside of the upper
recess, and also at the neck, mouth, or upper opening thereof, which forms
a ledge or seat; the disc or knob is cast or formed in a piece with or forms
a portion of a rod, shank, or stem that connects it to the piece of furniture or
other article to which the castor belongs, and which stem is formed with a
shoulder, the whole appliance, that is the knob with its stem, and the shoulder
being turned or made true or smooth on the surface. When the castor pieces
are to be fitted together, the shoulder is rested on the ledge or seat at the
opening of the cup or socket, fitting or lying exactly thereon, the upper edges
of the socket are turned down over it, being contrived for that purpose so
as to adjust, fix, and steady the disc or knob in place; the smaller balls can
then be inserted in their recess, and the large ball or globe in its recess, the
lower edge or edges of the socket being formed, widened, spread or opened
out, so that they may admit the globe, and then be bent, curved, or forced
inward, to retain it (at a part below its centre), but yet allow it fully the
necessary freedom of motion.
For manufacturing the small balls the material is subjected, first, to appa-
ratus for roughly shaping out and cutting, and then to apparatus for rounding,
smoothing, or finishing off the balls; these apparatus may also be adapted
or applied for producing rounded bodies for other purposes. In the first
apparatus there is a lever worked or moved by excentric or crank motion,
from the driving shaft, past which lever the wire rod or length of material
is led and there nipped by a knee piece, and is brought between a pair of
dies or punches which are caused to slide to and fro, or advance and recede,
by arms or levers worked by excentrics, cams, or crank action from the driving
shaft, or equivalent means, and which roughly shape out the balls on the
length of wire or material which is held to them by a burin, graver, point, or
finger, and is then propelled by the lever to a cutter worked up and down
by an arm or lever driven by teeth or projections on a boss or collar on the

page_text: driving shaft, so as to bring the cutter down with two rapid strokes for each
ball, thereby cutting off the balls which are separated by a screen or otherwise,
and they are then rounded, smoothed, or finished, by apparatus in which are two
plates or discs, one stationary, and the other revolving; on the surface of
the stationary plate, nearest the one revolving, a spiral, or volute, or way,
circumvolving from centre to periphery is cut or formed, having a side profile
or surface corresponding to half the ball's circumference. The rough ball
drops through a feed sieve or hopper on to the centre of the revolving plate,
which drives it all along the spiral so that it runs round its circumvolutions
from beginning to end until it is finally projected from it in a finished state.
The revolving plate can be conveniently adjusted by raising and lowering it
with a wheel, screw, and lever or similar means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
HENRY, of 84, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Michael Henry, Her special licence that I, the said Michael Henry, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Michael
Henry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF A CERTAIN DESCRIPTION OF CASTOR, AND IN APPARATUS FOR
MANUFACTURING CERTAIN PARTS OF SUCH CASTORS, WHICH APPARATUS MAY ALSO BE
APPLIED FOR PRODUCING ROUNDED BODIES FOR OTHER PURPOSES," communicated to
me from abroad by Jean-Baptiste Germain Clergeau, of 33, Boulevard Saint
Martin, Paris, France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said

page_text: Michael Henry, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Michael Henry, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, as communicated to me, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
This Invention first relates to improvements in the construction of a castor,
for which Joseph Felix obtained British Letters Patent, dated 9th November
1858, and numbered 2508 (and which castor was described in the Specifi-
cation and Drawings of that Patent as consisting of a socket or inverted cup,
holding a ball and receiving a "disc" or knob, together with smaller balls, free
to travel about the "disc" or knob).
The present Invention next relates to apparatus for manufacturing the
aforesaid smaller balls, which apparatus is likewise applicable for producing
rounded bodies for other uses.
The terms "upper" and "lower" used in this Specification relate to the
castor when it is in its regular or usual position, that is to say, supporting the
article to which it belongs.
According to the improvements introduced under this my present Patent in
the construction of the castor before referred to, the cup or socket, which is
cast in a single piece, is turned true or smooth at the inside of the upper
recess, and also at the neck, mouth, or upper opening thereof, which forms a
ledge or seat. The "disc" or knob is cast or formed in a piece with or fixed
to so as to form a portion of a rod, shank, or stem, which connects it to the
piece of furniture or other article to which the castor belongs, and which stem
or shank is formed with a shoulder. The whole appliance, that is to say, the
knob with its stem, and the shoulder, are turned true or smooth on the
surface. When the castor pieces are to be fitted together the shoulder is
rested on the ledge or seat at the opening of the cup or socket, and fits or lies
exactly thereon, and the upper edges of the socket are turned down over it,
being duly contrived for that purpose, so as to adjust, hold, and steady or
centre the disc or knob in place; the smaller balls can then be inserted in

page_text: their recess, and the large ball or globe in its recess, the lower edge of the
socket being formed, widened, spread, or opened out to admit the globe, and
afterwards bent, curved, or forced inward to retain it at a part below its centre
while yet fully allowing it the necessary freedom of motion.
For manufacturing the small balls the material is subjected first to apparatus
for roughly shaping out and cutting the balls, and then to apparatus for
rounding, smoothing, or finishing them off. These apparatuses may also be
adapted or applied for producing rounded bodies for other purposes.
In the first apparatus there is a lever worked or moved by excentric or
crank motion from the driving shaft, past which lever the wire rod or length of
material is led, and while there is nipped by a knee piece, and is brought
between a pair of dies or punches, which are caused to slide to and fro, or
advance and recede by means of arms or levers worked by excentrics, cams, or
crank action from the driving shaft, or by equivalent means; these dies
or punches roughly shape out the balls on the length of wire or material,
which is held to them by a "burin," point, or finger, and is then propelled by
the lever to a cutter, worked up and down by an arm or lever driven by
teeth or projections, set on a boss or collar on the driving shaft, and so con-
trived as to bring the cutter down with two rapid strokes for each ball, thereby
cutting off the balls, which are separated by a screen or otherwise. They are
then rounded, smoothed, or finished off by apparatus in which are two plates
or discs, one stationary and the other revolving. On the surface of the
stationary plate nearest to the revolving one a spiral, or volute, or a way
circumvolving from centre to periphery is cut or formed, having a trans-
verse section (profile) corresponding to half the ball's circumference. The
rough ball drops through a feed sieve or hopper on to the centre of the
revolving plate, which drives it all along the spiral groove, so that it runs
round its circumvolutions from beginning to end, until it is finally projected
from it in a finished state. The revolving plate can be conveniently
adjusted by raising and lowering it with a wheel, screw, and lever, or
similar means.
Having set forth the nature of the said improvements, I proceed with
reference to the accompanying Drawings, more particularly to describe
in what manner the said improvements may be carried into effect.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 represent the two machines employed in manu-
facturing the smaller balls used in the castors; the machine shewn in
Figures 1 and 2 is for roughly shaping and cutting out the balls, and the
other, illustrated in Figures 3, 5, and 6, is for finishing them off.

page_text: process is represented in
Here A, A, is the driving
The machine intended for performing the first
sectional elevation, Figure 1, and plan, Figure 2.
shaft; it carries fast and loose pullies B, B¹, and a fly wheel C. Rotary motion
is communicated to the shaft A through the pulley B from a steam engine or
other prime mover; d is a crank disc fixed on one end of the shaft A, and
connected by its arm F to a lever E, to which it thus communicates horizontal,
reciprocating, or to-and-fro motion; G, G', are plummer blocks, in which the
shaft A is supported; H, H', are a pair of cams keyed on the shaft between
the blocks G, G¹, and connected to levers I, I', centred on pivots or axes
at K, K. The cams H, H¹, work these levers I, 1', horizontally on their
fulera or axes, and thereby communicates to-and-fro or reciprocating motion to
a pair of sliding die stocks, a¹, to which are fixed dies t, t¹, shewn enlarged
in Fig. 3; by these means the dies t, t¹, are caused to perform an alternating
to-and-fro travel, that is to say, they are caused to approach to and recede
from each other at the required intervals; L is a boss or collar on the centre
of the shaft A; on this collar L are two teeth, studs, or projections o, o', which
communicate up-and-down motion to a lever M, to which is screwed a cutter n.
The teeth o, o, are fixed at such positions on the collar L as to impart two
up-and-down strokes to the lever in rapid succession. The framework of the
apparatus is not shewn in the Figure. p is the wire to be cut into balls; this
wire is gradually delivered off a reel, and conducted to the machine, Figures 1
and 2; it is first led to the lever E, in passing which it is nipped by the
jointed knee piece Q, and is then conducted through a guide », where it is
held by the "burin" or pointed piece s, and is so brought between the dies t, t
these dies in their advance or approach stroke act on the wire, and shape it, as
represented in Figure 4, which shews a portion of the length of wire with a
number of rough spherical shapes c, c, formed thereon. When the dies recede
they release the wire, which is gently driven by the lever E to beneath the
cutter n. This cutter is so actuated by the projections o, o¹, that it comes
down on the wire with two brisk strokes, one close after the other, so as to cut
the wire on each side of each rough blank or spherical shape c, and thus cuts
off the rough balls, which fall through an orifice into a receiver fixed below,
into which the waste material also drops. The balls are then separated by a
riddle or screen, or by other means, and are fed into the second machine,
where their surfaces are smoothed or finished off.
;
This machine is shewn in elevation, Figure 5, and plan, Figure 6. In these
Figures, A is a horizontal shaft, supported in bearings in the frame standards
H, H; it carries fast and loose pullies B, B', through the former of which

page_text: rotary motion is communicated to the shaft A from any ordinary motor. From
this shaft A rotary motion is transmitted through bevil toothed gearing E, E', to
an upright shaft D, and thence to a plate, disc, round stone, or wheel C, which
is attached to and revolves with this shaft D. F is a stationary plate, disc, or
stone firmly fixed to the cross bars H, H, of the framework. On the under
surface of the stone F is cut a hollow or groove, winding spirally from the
centre of the disc to its edge, as shewn in the enlarged plan view of F,
Figure 7. The shape of this groove in transverse section is such as to corre-
spond with the half circumference of the ball to be smoothed off, the section
gradually diminishing, so that near the centre it corresponds with the size of
the rough ball as it first drops on to the plate, but becomes reduced as it winds
towards the edge to the intended size of the ball when finished. K is an orifice
in the centre of F, of sufficient size not only for the shaft D to pass down it,
but also to leave space for the rough balls c to drop through it between the
shaft and the sides of this hole K. The balls drop down from a feed hopper
or sieve G, fixed in the framework directly over the opening K; each roughly
shaped ball as it falls through the hole K comes on to the surface of C,
which as it revolves forces the ball to travel along the whole length of the
spiral groove cut in the surface of F; the ball travels along the
groove from
the centre of the wheel F to its edge, whereby the roughnesses or unevennesses
of the ball are smoothed off. The ball thus rounded or finished off drops from
between the edges of F and C into a receiver I. To adjust or regulate the
distance between F and C, the latter is brought nearer to or farther from the
former by turning the hand wheel L, which moves the rod N up or down, and
so varies the position of a lever M attached thereto, and raises or depresses
the shaft D to the required extent. Other ordinary means of communicating
motion to the parts may be substituted for those specified.
.
Figures 8, 9, and 10 exemplify the improvements introduced under the
present Patent in the construction of the Felix castor. According to these
improvements the mode of mounting the large ball or globe in the inverted
cup or socket is simplified. A, shewn in section, Figure 10, is the cup or
socket; it is cast in one piece, and its edge b, b, is formed as if widened or
bent outward, as shewn, to admit the large ball or globe D. This ball D is
made of metal or other strong material, and may be either solid or hollow.
At the upper part of the socket A is the chamber or recess G, in which is
fitted the disc or knob F, shewn detached in Figure 8. The edge e¹ of the
neck or top opening. E of the recess G is bent outward, so that it may be
turned down over the shoulder f of the knob F when that knob is inserted, and

page_text: the
so holds the knob in place. The opening E, and the recess G, and also the
knob F, together with its stem or shank, and the shoulder f, are turned smoothly
or truly in the lathe. The knob F is in a piece with or rigidly fixed to its stem,
shank, or rod. The castor is fitted together by placing the knob F in the opening
G, so that its shoulder f may rest on the ledge or neck E of the recess G ;
projecting edge e¹ is then turned over it, and so keeps it in its place, as before
explained. The knob is thus properly centred in the socket; the recess G is
then filled with the small iron balls c, c, which circulate between the sides of
the recess and the knob F. The globe D is inserted into its place in the
socket, the bottom edge 6 of which is forced or bent inward, and so retains the
globe in the socket, holding it at a part of its circumference below its centre,
though allowing it sufficient freedom or play to roll in all directions, as
required.
The improved castor is thus composed of only three parts in addition to the
small iron balls c, c, namely, the cup A, large ball D, and knob F, fixed to or
formed with its shank or stem.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the construction of castor in which a cast-metal cup or socket,
whereof the bottom edge, which is rounded, and embraces a ball or globe, a
little below its centre is connected to the piece of furniture or article intended
to rest thereon by means of a metal rod, shank, or stem, formed in a piece
with or rigidly fixed to a disc or knob centred in the cup or socket, so as to
leave a space, which is filled with small iron balls, against which the large
ball rolls; the last-named recess and its neck or top opening, and the disc or
knob with its stem or shank being all turned true, whereby an accurate
mounting is obtained.
Second, the general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
machine herein-before described and represented in Figures 1 and 2 of the
accompanying Drawings, for roughly shaping balls or rounded articles.
Third, the general arrangement and combination of parts constituting
the machine herein-before described and represented in Figures 5, 6, and 7
of the accompanying Drawings, for smoothing, rounding, or finishing off balls
or rounded articles.
Fourth, the manufacturing of the "disc" or knob, and its connecting rod,
stem, or shank, in a single piece, arranged in the manner herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings..
Fifth, the manufacture of the socket or cup of cast iron, bronze, &c., &c.,

page_text: in the manner herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings.
Sixth, the arrangement of and mode of mounting castors, herein-before
particularly described and represented in Figures 8, 9, and 10 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
S. E. A. NEWSOME,
Patent Office,
84, Fleet Street.
M. HENRY. (L.S.)