Patent ID: 8863794

Claim:
An internal suspension system for a wheel or caster of a determined diameter upon which a tire is mountable, comprising: a hub, said hub having a generally cylindrical shape; an odd number of generally like spokes spaced generally equally radially about said hub and including a first end fixed to said hub, a generally straight shaft projecting generally radially outwardly from said hub, and a second end; each said spoke including at least one spring mounted coaxially upon said shaft of said spoke with a first spring end thereof adjacent said hub, with a second spring end located approximate the second end of said spoke, and with a washer also mounted coaxially upon said shaft and positioned against said second spring end; said washer being of a determined size with substantially parallel inner and outer bearing surfaces projecting radially outwardly from a center thereof, said washer extending generally perpendicularly outwardly from said shaft with said inner bearing surface thereof in contact with said second spring end; an outer body rim of a solid construction having a generally round hollow interior and of greater diameter than said hub and forming an outer body rim and positioned generally concentrically with said hub, said outer body rim having an exterior surface and an interior surface spaced inwardly from said exterior surface, said interior surface of said outer body rim having a plurality of spaced flat surfaces; said outer body rim including a plurality of longitudinal rim slots extending into said rim from the interior surface thereof and spaced radially along the interior surface of said rim and extending through said formed flat surfaces and aligned with said spokes, with each rim slot being associated with a corresponding flat surface along said interior surface of said rim; said rim slots having widths corresponding to the size of said shafts of said spokes and lengths greater than the size of said shafts; the position and lengths of said rim slots defining the position and minimum lengths of said associated chords along said interior surface of said outer body; the second end of each shaft extending into an aligned rim slot with said washer on said shaft disposed generally perpendicularly to said shaft and resting against said associated formed flat surface when the wheel is at rest with said outer bearing surface thereof substantially wholly in contact with said associated flat surface and with said washer compressing said spring of such spoke between said hub and said interior surface of said rim; and said shafts of said spokes being longitudinally movable within said rim slots and said washers being slidably movable substantially without binding along said associated flat surfaces of said interior surface of said rim with said outer bearing surfaces of said washers remaining substantially wholly in contact with said associated flat surfaces during rotation of the wheel to absorb generated impacting forces applied to the wheel during usage.