US2472514A - Roller track - Google Patents

Description

June 7, 1949. D. T. BRINKLEY 2,472,514

ROLLER TRACK Filed Jan. 18. 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Arm rney:

June 7, 1949. D. T. BRINKLEY ROLLER TRACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 18. 1946 A 7 9 A u M w z W H a 6 l l M l s II 1 H. H :vk {l 5 w. 5 v A V Z M Y m I H j//////// W 7 7 Inventor Patented June 7, 1949 David's.- Brinkley, iiiii ariganf AppficationJanuary 18, 1946; seriai 'fidl' 6413 951- 3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to fixturesfor use with conventional articles of furniture as desks-Beds, dressers and the like having rollers for moving the same about. Morespecifically, the present invention contemplates the provision of a trackforeach individual roller upon which the roller may move, thereby keeping the roller off the floor and avoiding-damage thereto or to rugs or carpets spreadthereon as well-as facilitating the moveifi ntof therfurniture. n v

An object of theinvention is to provide a rollerand track therefore in which thesecoactingparts are so formed-"as to maintain a'cooperating relation therebetween u another-objectis toprovide-a roller track which will automatically fold -'up -or move into an up right position when a desiredmovement of the associated furniture has been attained.

A further" object into provide a unitary roller track having stop means for limiting the movement of the r'oller'theieon';

Still other objects, features and advantages of the" present invenncnaretnose rlaitiii'gto'the utility thereof as regards the 'w'ic'lgneral use for tracks of-theaforedscribdtype, the eifectiveness of use, and the economy of manufacture Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 but also illustrating the rollers in section and the position of the track when the furniture is moved away from the wall,

Figure 3 is a view partially in section and partially in elevation as seen substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the track as viewed from the top thereof in Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a track according to an alternate form of the invention, and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but illustrates the position taken by the track when the furniture is rolled away from the wall.

Referring now to the drawings for a more complete understanding of the invention, [0 designates the leg portion of a conventional article of furniture such as a bed which, in the use thereof, may necessitate its being moved away from a wall H for the purpose of making up the bed sheets and covers in the customary manner, the leg l0 egpre s entinvention such aconditionis I t ally obviated by the provisionof a trac for the roller adapted to retain the preferre 1 t the invention isdisclosd, the numeral 20gnerally designates a track which is generally right angular in configuration having a short leg 2| shown in abutment with wall II, a longer leg 22 disposed at right angles to leg- 2 l, and an intermediate arouate interconnecting portion 23 which conforms to the curvature of the roller wheel l1. Track 20 is provided with side retaining walls 24 and 25 for retaining the roller wheel therebetween and somewhat higher end walls 26 and 21 which limit the movement of the roller along the track. Intermediate the side walls 24 and 25 is formed a semi-circular tongue 28 which extends the full length of the track and is adapted to be engaged by a coacting groove 29 formed in the roller whereby the traction therebetween is increased and the roller is additionally restrained and constrained to follow along the track.

Track portions 2|, 22 and 23 and the side and end walls 24 through 21 together with the tongue 28 preferably are formed integrally from any material suitable for the purpose such, for example, as hard rubber whereby the track is adapted to maintain the configuration shown which not only insures the effective operation of the roller on the track but also retains the track in the unobtrusive position disclosed in Figure 1. To accomplish the usually desired movement from the position of Figure 1 to that of Figure 2, the track may be in the order of two feet long over its longer portion 22.

In moving the bed between these positions, roller wheel I! forces track 20 to pivot or roll about its curved portion 23 until the longer leg 22 engages the floor I3. The roller wheel thereafter moves along the track until the desired movement of the bed is attained or the movement is terminated as the wheel engages the stop provided by end wall 21. In moving the bed back to the wall, the foregoing operations are performed in the reverse order.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, the numeral 30 generally designates a track which is formed in every respect similar to track 20 except that track 30 is formed of a rubber of suitable hardness or other quality which renders it subject to inherent coiling whereby the end of the track which is not clamped to the floor by the roller automatically coils as the pressure of the roller thereon is removed and automatically uncoils as the pressure is applied thereto. Thus, opposite ends of the track are coiled in the positions of the roller disclosed in Figures 5 and 6, the ends of the track always tending to coil toward the roller whereby an unobtrusive and compact arrangement is provided which may make a longer track feasible than when track 20 is employed.

While the invention has been described with reference to but two embodiments thereof, still other embodiments will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and it is my intention therefore to cover in the appended claims all such equivalent structures as are commensurated with spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fixture of the character disclosed for use with articles of furniture having leg supports, the combination of a roller support for each of the legs of the furniture to facilitate movement thereof between relatively permanent and temporary positions, and a track for the roller support to move along during said movement of the furniture, said track having relatively short and long legs substantially rigidly disposed at right angles to each other and inter- '4 connected by an arcuate portion which conforms to the periphery of the roller support.

2. In a fixture of the character disclosed for use with articles of furniture having leg supports, the combination of a roller support for each of the legs of the furniture to facilitate movement thereof between relatively permanent and temporary positions, and a track for the roller support to move along during said movement of the furniture, said track having relatively short and long legs substantially rigidly disposed at right angles to each other and interconnected by an arcuate portion which conforms to the periphery of the roller support, side and end walls for said track adapted to retain the roller support in coacting relation therewith and to limit movement therealong, respectively.

3. In a fixture of the character disclosed for use with articles of furniture having leg supports, the combination of a roller support for each of the legs of the furniture to facilitate movement thereof between relatively permanent and temporary positions, and a track for the roller support to move along during said movement of the furniture, said track having relatively short and long legs substantially rigidly disposed at right angles to each other and interconnected by an arouate portion which conforms to the periphery of the roller support, side and end walls for said track adapted to retain the roller support in coacting relation therewith and to limit movement therealong respectively, said roller support having a peripheral groove formed therein and said track having a longitudinally disposed tongue portion extended along the length thereof and adapted to coact with the groove in the roller support as the same moves along the track.

DAVID T. BRINKLEY.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 467,735 Eger Jan. 26, 1892 1,433,922 Williams Oct. 31, 1922

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