US2457723A - Adjustable glider for furniture legs - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 28, 1948.

A. R. PURA ADJUSTABLE GLIDER FOR FURNITURE LEGS Filed Jul? 30 1947 Irn nfor .Andrew R Pur'a Patented Dec. 28, 1948 UNITED STATES rATeNT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE GLEEFGRSFOR FURNITURE This invention relatestocastors'or 'gliders to be placed under the'leg of an article of furniture and more particularly to gliders which are adjustable andthe principal object-of the invention is toprovide a very compact and inexpensive formof adj-ustable'glider which can be very quickly and easily applied to, or removed from, the leg of a piece of furniture, and which can be readily adjusted while in position to compensate for unevenness in the supporting surface or the length of the furniture legs and will be firmly retained on the legduring all normal movement of the furniture.

A further and important object is to provide a readily adjustable glider of neat appearance, which will not mar or damage the leg of the furniture piece to which it is applied.

A still further and important object is to provide an adjustable glider which will retain its adjustment indefinitely.

The principal feature of the invention consists in providing an adjustable glider: in the form of a supporting base,.formedwithoa. threaded annular extension and a cap formed with a depending threaded annular flange adapted to engage the threaded base extension to permit the cap to be adjusted on said base, the cap being provided with a central well adapted to fit within the annular extension of the base portion and to receive the end of a furniture leg.

A further and important feature consists in forming the threaded extension of the base of smaller diameter than the base body to define an annular shoulder and providing shim means to be engaged between the annular shoulder of Li the base and the depending annular flange of the cap to maintain the cap in adjusted position on the base.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of my adjustable glider as applied to the leg of a piece of furniture.

Figure 2 is a vertical mid-sectional View taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of my adjustable glider.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the glider base, showing the externally threaded reduced annular extension.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the cap por- A tion of the glider.

In the past various forms of furniture castors or gliders have been proposed, some of which have been adjustable. In some cases the gliders have been secured to the furniture leg by holding means which are driven into the wood of the furniture piece resulting in damage and marring the appearance of the leg when the glider is removed.

Inother instances the gliders merely sit under the legs of the furniture piece and are displaced therefrom on the slightestmovement of the piece they support.

Further, adjustable gliders previously proposed have been bulky and unwieldy and have been expensive to manufacture.

The present invention has been devised to overcome the above difiiculties by providing a very compact and inexpensive form .of adjustable glider whichiwill be firmly retained on the furniture. leg to which it. is applied during allnormal shifting of :the furniture, without in any way defacing. or marringthe surface it contacts.

As illustrated the accompanying drawings, my glider comprises a base generally designated as l andzacap 2. The base I as shown comprises a circular portion 3 adaptedto contact the supporting surface. band an annular extension 5 formed with an external thread 6. The cap 2 is formed with a depending annular flange l which is internally threaded as at 8, the cap being adapted to thread or screw on to the threaded annular extension 5 of the base. Formed centrally of the cap is a generally circular well or seat 9, the depending wall In of which is spaced from the flange 1 and is preferably slightly convergent. The base II of the well is adapted to receive and support the end of a leg IQ of a piece of furniture. It will be seen, particularly in Figure 2, that when the cap is threaded on to the annular extension 5 of the base the well portion 9 of the cap fits within the cylindrical opening l3 of the base extension. Further, it will be seen that as the cap is rotated on the base or the base rotated relative the cap, the bottom or base ll of the well will be moved upwardly or downwardly to provide the required adjustment to firmly support the furniture leg.

To prevent the cap from accidentally turning relative the base, a ring :4 of suitable resilient material is interposed between the lower edge of the cap flange I and the shoulder l5 defined by the reduced base extension 5. Other suitable shim means, of course, may be utilized to hold the cap in adjusted position relative the base.

It is important to note that with the cap structure as defined above, the weight of the furniture piece on the base ll of the well or seat 9 arranged within the base extension 5 acts to provide an upward pull on the threads 8 of the cap flange to produce a tendency to move the cap upwardly against the weight of the furniture piece to maintain the base of the cap Well in engagement with the end of the furniture leg. The provision of the ring I4 is an additional precaution to prevent downward movement of the cap.

Further, with the well arranged on the inside of the base extension and the flange arranged on the outside, the wall of the base extension will serve to hold the flange and the wall of the well in the desired spaced relation.

Obviously the portion 3 of the base need not be circular but may be of any desired configuration, and the well 9 may be of any desired shape to fit the end of the furniture leg.

The base portion may be made of any suitable material which will present an attractive appearance such as glass or porcelain or the like, and the cap may also be made of any desired material but is preferably formed of light metal.

It will be appreciated that when my adjustable glider has been applied to the furniture leg the end of the leg will sit down into the well of the cap and the glider Will be safe from accidential dislodgement from the leg unless the furniture piece is bodily lifted.

Further, it will be seen that since no holding clamps or lugs or other fastening means are employed the surface of the leg will not in any way be marred or damaged.

To adjust the glider it is, of course, only necessary to rotate the cap relative the base until the end of the furniture leg is firmly engaged by the base H of the well.

In addition to the compactness and neat appearance of my glider, it will be fully understood that the cap and base portions can be very readily made at an exceedingly low cost, resulting in a very inexpensive article.

If desired, short inwardly convergent cantilever strips l6 of flexible spring metal may be secured within the well 9 as illustrated in figure 2 to resiliently grip the furniture leg to firmly yet releasably retain the glider in position in the event the furniture piece is lifted clear of the floor or supporting surface 4.

What I claim is:

1. An adjustable glider for furniture legs comprising in combination a base portion having an upwardly extending annular extension formed with a threaded outer surface and a cap having a depending annular flange formed with an internal thread to engage the threaded outer surface of the base extension for adjustment thereon, said cap being formed with a central well adapted to extend Within the annular extension of said base and to receive and support a furniture leg.

2. An adjustable glider for furniture legs com prising in combination a base having a reduced upwardly extending annular extension formed with a threaded outer surface, said reduced extension defining a shoulder, and a cap having 2. depending annular flange formed with an internally threaded surface to engage the thread of the base extension for adjustment thereon, said cap being formed with a central well adapted to extend within the annular extension of said base and to receive and support the leg of a piece of furniture, and means interposed between the shoulder of said base and said annular flange of the cap to prevent movement of the cap relative the base.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which spring means are arranged within said central cap well to resiliently grip the furniture leg.

ANDREW R. PURA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

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