GB2182555A - Furniture foot - Google Patents

Abstract

A foot for an article of furniture comprises a spigot 10 having an upper end 11 for attachment to an article of furniture, a splined lower end (14), and a base 16 which is made of plastics material. The base has a central bore 21 in which the splined lower end of the spigot is a force fit. A shoulder (13) on the spigot locates in recess 22 in boss 19 of the base. The lower end face of the spigot has a cruciform recess to receive a screwdriver to enable the foot to be mounted on the furniture article by threading the upper end 11 of the spigot into a nut or threaded bore on the article. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An improved furniture foot The present invention relates to an improved foot for an article offurniture,which may be in theform ofa glide or a fixed foot for attachment to the bottom end of a furniture leg.

Hitherto, it has been the practice to form a furniture foot or glide in two parts, a threaded steel spigot and a plastics base, the base being moulded onto one end of the threaded spigot. However, this method of production is costly and not always satisfactory as the threaded spigot may come loose in the base as a result of plastics shrinkage. It is also known to attach the threaded spigot to the base by means of a nut or other fastening member but this again is costly both in terms of components and the labour required to assemble the three components together.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a furniture foot or glide which is economic to produce and assemble and which minimises any risk of the threaded spigot and base coming apart orfailing in use.

According to the present invention we therefore provide a footfor an article of furniture comprising a spigot having an upper end for attachment to an art icle offurniture, a splined lower end, and a base which is made of plastics material and which has a central bore in which the splined lower end of the spigot is a force fit.

A preferred form of the invention will now be des cribedwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an elevationofaspigotforming part of a footforan article offurniture; Figure2 is a section on the line ll-ll of Figure 1; and Figures 3, 4and 5are respectively, an elevation, plan and underplan ofthe complete foot.

The foot illustrated is formed of two parts which are firmly assembled together by driving a portion of one part into the other. The first part consists of a steel spigot 10 having athreaded upper end 1 1,a flange 12 which forms a shoulder 13 and a splined lower end 14formed with thirteen axially extending splines 15.

The second part consists of a frusto-conical base 16 made of a synthetic plastics material such as polypropylene. The base 16 has an open bell-shaped skirt 17, which is strengthened by radial ribs 18, and are- ctangular boss 19 upstanding from the apex ofthe skirt. A short central cylindrical pillar 20 depends downwardly from the concave side ofthe skirt and a cylindrical bore 21 extendsthroughcylindrical pillar 20. The underside of the pillar 20 lies flush with the underside of the rim of the skirt 17. The upper end of the bore 21 is rebated to form a recess 22 in the upper surface of the boss 19.

During manufacture the knurled orsplined lower end 14 of the steel screw is driven into the bore 21 of the plastics base, with the lower end 14 extending through the boss 19, through the apex of the skirt and into the pillar 20.

The operation of forcing the lower end of the spigot into the base can be fully automated so that the assembly of the two components to form the foot can be done economically on a mass production basis. When assembled, the splines on the lower end ofthe spigot bite into the material of the base to ensure a firm connection between the two components and to resist relative rotation.

Preferably, the spigot is provided with thirteen splines 15 each having an included angle of approximately 60 . More or less splines may be provided but we havefoundthat,fora spigotof7to8 mm diameter, thirteen splines give the most effective resistanceto rotation.

Insertion ofthe end 14 of the spigot into the bore 21 is limited bythe shoulder 13 on theflange 12which locates in the recess 22. The depth of the recess 22 is equal to the thickness of the flange 12 so that the upper surface oftheflange is flush with the upper surface of the boss 18.

The end face of the lower end 14 of the spigot is formed with a cruciform recess 23 to receive a screw driver, enabling thefootto be mounted on an article offurniture by threading the upper end 11 ofthe spigot into a nut or threaded bore on thefurniture.

It is an importantfeature ofthe invention that the skirt 16 is separate from the spigot except at the apex of the skirt, so that, owing to the natural resilience of the plastics material, the skirt is free to flex slightly at its rim. In this way, when the foot is screwed into the leg of a piece offurniture, knocks are absorbed by the resilience of the bell-shaped skirt and the foot is less easily fractu red than has hitherto been the case with some known furniture feet ofthis type.

1. Afootforanarticleoffurniturecomprisinga spigot having an upper end for attachment to an art icle offurniture, a splined lower end, and a base which is made of plastics material and which has a central bore in which the splined iower end ofthe spigot is a force fit.

2. Afoot as claimed in claim 1 in which the bore extends through the base.

3. Afoot as claimed in claim 2, in which the spigot is formed with a shoulder adjacent its lower end which is adapted to limit insertion ofthe lower end into the bore.

4. Afoot as claimed in claim 3, in which the shoulder is formed by a circumferential flange on the spigot.

5. Afoot as claimed in claim 4, in which the base is formed with a rebate surrounding the upper end of the bore to receive the flange on the spigot.

6. Afoot as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the lower end of the spigot is provided with thirteen to fifteen splines.

7. Afoot as claimed in claim 6, wherein each spline has an included angle of approximately 600.

8. Afoot for an article of furniture substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION An improved furniture foot The present invention relates to an improved foot for an article offurniture,which may be in theform ofa glide or a fixed foot for attachment to the bottom end of a furniture leg. Hitherto, it has been the practice to form a furniture foot or glide in two parts, a threaded steel spigot and a plastics base, the base being moulded onto one end of the threaded spigot. However, this method of production is costly and not always satisfactory as the threaded spigot may come loose in the base as a result of plastics shrinkage. It is also known to attach the threaded spigot to the base by means of a nut or other fastening member but this again is costly both in terms of components and the labour required to assemble the three components together. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a furniture foot or glide which is economic to produce and assemble and which minimises any risk of the threaded spigot and base coming apart orfailing in use. According to the present invention we therefore provide a footfor an article of furniture comprising a spigot having an upper end for attachment to an art icle offurniture, a splined lower end, and a base which is made of plastics material and which has a central bore in which the splined lower end of the spigot is a force fit. A preferred form of the invention will now be des cribedwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an elevationofaspigotforming part of a footforan article offurniture; Figure2 is a section on the line ll-ll of Figure 1; and Figures 3, 4and 5are respectively, an elevation, plan and underplan ofthe complete foot. The foot illustrated is formed of two parts which are firmly assembled together by driving a portion of one part into the other. The first part consists of a steel spigot 10 having athreaded upper end 1 1,a flange 12 which forms a shoulder 13 and a splined lower end 14formed with thirteen axially extending splines 15. The second part consists of a frusto-conical base 16 made of a synthetic plastics material such as polypropylene. The base 16 has an open bell-shaped skirt 17, which is strengthened by radial ribs 18, and are- ctangular boss 19 upstanding from the apex ofthe skirt. A short central cylindrical pillar 20 depends downwardly from the concave side ofthe skirt and a cylindrical bore 21 extendsthroughcylindrical pillar 20. The underside of the pillar 20 lies flush with the underside of the rim of the skirt 17. The upper end of the bore 21 is rebated to form a recess 22 in the upper surface of the boss 19. During manufacture the knurled orsplined lower end 14 of the steel screw is driven into the bore 21 of the plastics base, with the lower end 14 extending through the boss 19, through the apex of the skirt and into the pillar 20. The operation of forcing the lower end of the spigot into the base can be fully automated so that the assembly of the two components to form the foot can be done economically on a mass production basis. When assembled, the splines on the lower end ofthe spigot bite into the material of the base to ensure a firm connection between the two components and to resist relative rotation. Preferably, the spigot is provided with thirteen splines 15 each having an included angle of approximately 60 . More or less splines may be provided but we havefoundthat,fora spigotof7to8 mm diameter, thirteen splines give the most effective resistanceto rotation. Insertion ofthe end 14 of the spigot into the bore 21 is limited bythe shoulder 13 on theflange 12which locates in the recess 22. The depth of the recess 22 is equal to the thickness of the flange 12 so that the upper surface oftheflange is flush with the upper surface of the boss 18. The end face of the lower end 14 of the spigot is formed with a cruciform recess 23 to receive a screw driver, enabling thefootto be mounted on an article offurniture by threading the upper end 11 ofthe spigot into a nut or threaded bore on thefurniture. It is an importantfeature ofthe invention that the skirt 16 is separate from the spigot except at the apex of the skirt, so that, owing to the natural resilience of the plastics material, the skirt is free to flex slightly at its rim. In this way, when the foot is screwed into the leg of a piece offurniture, knocks are absorbed by the resilience of the bell-shaped skirt and the foot is less easily fractu red than has hitherto been the case with some known furniture feet ofthis type. CLAIMS

1. Afootforanarticleoffurniturecomprisinga spigot having an upper end for attachment to an art icle offurniture, a splined lower end, and a base which is made of plastics material and which has a central bore in which the splined iower end ofthe spigot is a force fit.

2. Afoot as claimed in claim 1 in which the bore extends through the base.

3. Afoot as claimed in claim 2, in which the spigot is formed with a shoulder adjacent its lower end which is adapted to limit insertion ofthe lower end into the bore.

4. Afoot as claimed in claim 3, in which the shoulder is formed by a circumferential flange on the spigot.

5. Afoot as claimed in claim 4, in which the base is formed with a rebate surrounding the upper end of the bore to receive the flange on the spigot.

6. Afoot as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the lower end of the spigot is provided with thirteen to fifteen splines.

7. Afoot as claimed in claim 6, wherein each spline has an included angle of approximately 600.

8. Afoot for an article of furniture substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.