US2488849A - Furniture glider - Google Patents

Description

Nqv. 22, 1949 w. H. CHURCHILL 2,438,849

' FURNITURE GLIDER FiledvMarch 25, 1947 QZZ I I W2.

ML N127? ova/Paw; L

MWNJUAOL Patented Nov. 22, 1949 FURNITURE GLIDER Wilmer H. Churchill, Saugus, Mass, assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 25, 1947, Serial No. 736,980

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to furniture gliders of the type having a rounded-edge head portion secured to a fastener element designed to be secured within a tubular member, as for example an article of. furniture, and. aims generally to improve existing gliders of that type.

One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of a glider of simple yet strong construction and one which may be economically manufactured.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a furniture glider having a cup-shaped head provided with a continuous upstanding marginal flange adapted to have edg-e-to-edge abutting bearing engagement witha wall of a. tube in which it is fitted.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improved construction of glider which may be made in a variety of shapes so as to be, adaptable for attachment to tubular metal furniture legs of various cross sectional shapes.

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent to persons skill-ed in the art to which the invention relates from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and annexed specification illustrating and describing twoembodiments of the invention.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a fragmentary portion of a furniture leg and illustrating one embodiment of an improved glider applied. thereto;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the glider according to the embodiment shown'in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the glider shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the glider shown in Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 6 is a detail transverse sectional view of the glider as taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of thertwo parts of the glider in disassembled relation; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of av modified form of glider embodying the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the improved glider is adapted for attachment to a tubular leg of an article of furniture which may be constructed of sheet metal tubing and comprises a fastener flange generally conforming to the shape of the base as well as the terminal end of the furniture legortubing to which the glider is to be secured. Suitable attaching means may be provided for securing the head and fastener part in assembled relation.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive is of a type adaptable to metal tubing furniture legs of rectangular cross section, and more particularly to multi-cellular tubing which may be built up of metal channel sections to provide a furniture leg of exceptional strength, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A furniture leg I of such tubing-may be built up of opposed channels 2 having their flanges crimped as at 3 over the side edges 4 of facing strip 5, the crimped joints; being securely connected, as; by welding. and embraced by inwardly facing channels 6. The furniture leg thus formed is of general rectangular form transversely di-- vided and reinforced by the channels 2 providing a multi-cellular post consisting of a central bore A and end bore B. It will be understood that the improved glider is adaptable for attachment to the construction of other rectangular tubes or posts, and that the particular construction of furniture leg forms no part of the present inventic-n.

The improved glider of the present invention comprises a fastener member ID provided with a base portion I I having a plurality of pairs of wall-engaging means integrally joined thereto and generally disposed substantially normal to the plane of the base. One pair of wall-engaging means consists of opposed relatively long resilient wall-gripping portions 12 bent perpendicularly from the base and disposed a selected distance inwardly of opposed marginal edges l3 thereof.

The wall-gripping members [2 are provided with outwardly diverging portions l4 and inwardly converging or tapering ends l5, and the side edges of the portions [2 are preferably provided with barbs or prongs I6 at the juncture between the portions l4 and l5 to bite against the adjacent wall of the tube I, as for example the spaced transverse walls 2 shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

' The other pair of wall-engaging means are preferably shorter and stiffer wings or tongues ll bent perpendicularly of the base H and adapted to engage the inner faces of opposed walls of the tubing, as for example the walls 5 thereof as shown in Fig. 2. According to this embodiment of the invention, the wings or tongues I! are disposed in planes perpendicular to the planes of the wall-gripping members, and thus when in frictional engagement with the walls 5, serve to p sition the fastener member and the glider properly with respect to the leg I.

The glider head 20 conveniently is formed of a cup-shaped metal part having a convexed or dome-shaped bottom 2! and an integral peripheral marginal flange 22 generally conforming to and adapted to receive the base I I of the fastener member 20. Suitable attaching means are provided for securing the head 20 to the fastener member and preferably these may be in the form of attaching lugs 23 integrally joined to the peripheral flange 22 of the head 20 and clenched against the base portion ll fitted therein.

It will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 that when the glider is fitted within the furniture leg I, the wall-gripping members are forced toward each other and placed under tension so as to grip the opposed faces of the tubing, for example the walls 2, throughout substantial lengths. The other pair of wall-engaging means I1 engages the perpendicular faces 5 and thus accurately centers or positions the glider relative to the leg I. The head 20 desirably conforms in size and shape to the lower open end of the leg I so that the peripheral flange 22 is in edge-to-edge abutting engagement with the wall of the leg I.

In Fig. 8 there is illustrated a slightly modified form of the invention adapted for attachment to tubings or posts of generally triangular cross section. According to this embodiment the base II is generally triangular and is provided with a pair of relatively long resilient wall-gripping members I2 disposed normal to the base and at right angles to the perpendicular bisector thereof. The positioning means Il may extend angularly from the base edge of the triangular base and conveniently are disposed on opposite sides of one of the gripping members [2. The head 23 is of generally triangular form to provide a peripheral flange 22 adapted for edge-to-edge abutting engagement with the wall of a triangular leg tube, and the attaching lugs 23 conveniently may be on the side flange and overlie the base ll intermediate the opposed wall-gripping means I2 From the above it will be apparent that the invention provides a very simple and efficient furniture glider in which the peripheral flange of the cup-shaped head has an edge-to-edge bearing engagement with the walls of the furniture leg providing a very strong construction. The arrangement and disposition of the wall-engaging means l2, l2 -l'l, Il not only serve to secure the glider to the metal post or leg I, but serve to maintain the desired edge-to-edge abutting engagement therewith.

Although I have illustrated and described two embodiments of the invention, I do not intend to be restricted to the details thereof, as the scope of the invention is best defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A furniture glider for installation in the end of a tubular furniture leg, said glider comprising a cap member having a dome-shaped base and upstanding flanges extending from the peripheral edges of said base normal to a plane passing through said edges and presenting at their outer ends bearing surfaces for engaging the end edges of the walls of the tubular furniture leg on which said glider may be installed, and a fastener member having a base fitting within said upstanding flanges and a pair of elongated wall-engaging spring members extending substantially normal to said base and having sharp projections for engaging opposing interior surfaces of the walls of such tubular furniture leg, and a pair of positioning members extending normal to said base for engaging the interior surfaces of the walls of such a tubular furniture leg adjoining their end edges, said upstanding flanges having inwardly extending elements overlying said fastener member base for retaining said cap and fastener member in assembled relationship.

2. A furniture glider for installation in the end of a tubular furniture leg, said glider comprising a sheet metal cap member having a dome-shaped base and upstanding flanges extending from the peripheral edges of said base normal to the plane passing through said peripheral edges and presenting at their outer ends bearing surfaces for engaging the end edges of the walls of the tubular furniture leg on which said glider may be installed, a sheet metal fastener member having a base fitting within said upstanding flanges and a pair of elongated wall-engaging spring members extending substantially normal to said base and having projecting therefrom teeth for engaging the interior surfaces of opposing walls of such a furniture leg and a pair of positioning members extending substantially normal to said base for engaging the interior surfaces of opposing walls of such a furniture leg adjacent their end edges intermediate the walls engaged by said spring members, said upstanding flanges having inwardly extending elements overlying said fastener member base for retaining said cap and fastener member in assembled relationship.

3. A furniture glider for installation in the end of the tubular furniture leg of generally triangular cross-section, said glider comprising a generally triangular head having a dome-shaped base and upstanding flanges extending from the edges of said base normal to the plane passing through said edges and presenting at their outer ends bearing surfaces for engaging the ends of the walls of the triangular tubular furniture leg on which said glider may be installed, and a sheet metal fastener member having a triangular base fitting within said upstanding flanges and a pair of elongated wall-engaging spring members extending substantially normal to said base at right angles to a perpendicular bisector of said base and having sharp projections for engaging opposing interior surfaces of the walls of such a furniture leg, said upstanding flanges having inwardly extending elements overlying said fastener member base for retaining said cap and fastener member in assembled relationship.

WILMER H. CHURCHILL.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,112,828 Neuberth Oct. 6, 1914 1,500,199 Overmyer July 8, 1924

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