US663164A - Ball-caster. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dec. 4, |900. W. H. FAUBER.

BALL CASTER.

(Applicltion led Aug. 5, 1899.)

No. ("0v Model.)

WMM

Nrrnn STATES ATENT Fine fr.

BALL-CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming pere ef Letters recent Ne. 663,164, dated December 4., 1900.

Application led August 5.1899. Serial No. 726,273. KNO model.)

T0 a/ZZ wwnt t may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM H. FAUBER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball-Casters; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference beine; had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference Vmarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ballcasters wherein one of the bearing members is formed by a spherical rotative element and antifriction-balls are interposed between the rotative element and the other bearing-surface.

The invention is shown as embodied in a furniture-caster; but it may be otherwise embodied where a bearing of this character is desired.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side eleva tion of a caster made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an axial section thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing in bottom plan View the arrangement of the antifriction-balls. Figs. 4 and 5 are bottom and top plan views, respectively, of the shifting gud e-plate which is interposed between the supporting-roller and the bearing-surface of the casing and in which guide-grooves or races for the'antfrictionballs are formed. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the casing, showing in bottom plan view the bearing-surface therein. Fig. 7 is an axial section of a modified form of a caster. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan View of the shifting guide-plate used therein.' Fig. 9 shows a part of such plate removed from the other parts thereof.

As shown in said drawings, A designates a casing which is open at its lower end and is provided interiorly in its upper part with a bearing-surface or cupo, which is shown as projecting slightly below the inner face of the upper wall of the casing, and at its upper end with an exterior screw-threaded shank A, by means of which it may be attached to an article` of furniture. B designates a 4which the supporting-ball rests.

spherical supporting-roller which is contained loosely within said casingand protrudes at its lower part from the open end of said casing, so that it may rest in contact with a supe portingf-surface.`

C designates a guide-plate which is interposed between the supporting-roller and the upper wall of the casing, said plate having the general form of 'a segment of a hollow sphere, so as to conform to the adjacent surfaces of the cup ct and supporting-roller.

D D designate a plurality of antifrictionballs which are adapted to transmit to the supporting-roller the weight brought on the casing.

The plate C is constructed to provide endless guide-grooves or races, within which the balls are seated and which serve to hold said balls in proper position with respect to the cup of, and supporting-roller, and is adapted to be moved or shifted, so as to change the position of the guide-grooves or races therein in accordance with the direction of travel of the caster over its supporting surface on One guidegroove or race is provided on each side of the center of said plate,and each guide-groove consists of a substantially straight portion c and a curved portion c', giving thereto approximately the form of the letter D. Said substantially straight portions c of said grooves or races are located between the curved portions thereof and the center of the plate and are substantially parallel with each other, while the curved portions of the grooves are "located adjacent to the outer margin of the plate.

Said parallel portion c of the guide-groovesl -upper walls of said grooves and serve to hold the plate out of contact with the supporting! roller. Said antifrictionballs are made of greater diameter than the thickness of the plate, so that the balls which occupy the straight portions c of the guide-grooves or races extend beyond both the upper and lower sustained by the caster, the remaining balls; sustaining only'the Weight of the plate C.

Said plate is connected with the casing in such manner that it may be shifted or rotated about its central axis, whereby the portions c of the guide-grooves or races may be always parallel with the line of movement of the caster, and therefore parallel with the plane of rotation of the supporting-roller. As herein shown, said 'plate is provided with a central aperture c2, which is loosely engaged by a pin a', which projects downwardly from the bearing-surface of the cup a centrally thereof.

The lower margin of the casing may be crimped inwardly, as shown, to hold the supporting-roller properly7 in place, as when the caster is being handled or when it is lifted away from its supporting-surface.

The operation of the caster may be readily understood from the foregoing description. When weight is brought upon the caster and it is caused to move in a manner to rotate the supporting-roller, the antifriction-balls D being in contactwith the cup a, and with the supporting-roller said balls roll or travel between the supporting-roller and the cup and through the endless guide-grooves or races. When the direction of movement of the caster, and therefore the direction of rotation of the supporting-roller, is changed, the pivotal connection of the guide-plate with the casing permits said plate to be shifted or turn about the pin d', so as to bring the portions c of the guide-grooves or races parallel with the new plane of rotation of the supporting-roller, after which the operation of the device is the same as before. Such turning or shifting of the platenecessarily takes place, because if the supportingroller be turned when the straight parts c of the guide-grooves are at an angle or transverse with respect to the plane of rotation of the supporting-roller the balls D in rolling between the supportingroller and cup a will be carried against and exert pressure upon the sides of the guidegrooves in the guide-plate in such manner as to turn or shift said plate until the straight parts c are again parallel with the plane of rotation of the supporting-roller. Those of the antifriction-balls D which are at any time beneath or in contact with the cup ct, and which therefore receive the Weight brought on the caster, being free to move in a path parallel with the plane of rotation of the supporting-roller, and which is the path of least resistance, the friction between said parts is reduced to a minimum and the supportingroller may freely rotate.

The provision of the shifting guide-plate C, constructed and arranged in the manner described, is an important feature of my invention, as it enables the path of movement of those of the balls Vwhich are in their active or operative position to be maintained parallel kwith the plane of rotation of the supportingroller and prevents said antifriction-balls being pressed against the side walls of the races o rguide-grooves, which would result in increased friction and impair the efciency of the caster.

In Figs. 7, 8, and 9. is shown a modified form of the caster. In said figures the casing A and the supporting-roller B are made substantially as shown in the previous igures. The antifriction-balls are also arranged in the same manner as before described. In this instance, however, the caster is provided with a shifting guide-plate E, which, though performing the same function as the similar part of the previously-described construction, is made of a slightly-modified construction. In this instance said plate is provided on each side of its center vwith oblong openings E', which are divided by a central part e, and Within said openings are contained loose or floating pieces E2, which are made of the same shape as the openings, but smaller than the saine, thereby providing between said floating pieces and the main body of the plate endless ball-races or guide-grooves compris- -,ing parallel portions e e and curved portions e2 e2. The part e of said plate is provided with an aperture e3, which is adapted for engagement with a depending pin a2, and by means of which said plate 'may be shifted or turned about its center to bring the antifriction-balls which occupy the parallel portions of the races in a plane parallel with the plane of rotation of the supporting-roller B. The part of the interior surface of the upper wall of the casing located immediately above the outer or curved portion of the ball-races is not concentric with the bearing-surface a3, which is engaged by the balls in the portions of the races nearest the center of the plate, but is more widely separated from the supporting-roller than such part d3, so that the balls occupying the said curved portions of Vthe races are out of contact with said upper Wall of the casing. As in the prior construction, the supporting-balls are made of such diameter as to extend beyond the upper and lower surfaces of the plate, so that when occupying the portions e of the guide-grooves or races they will be in contact with the supporting-roller and 'the bearing-surface a3 and in position to transmit Weight from 'the casing to the supporting-roller. Said grooves are made of a width slightly greater than the diameter of the balls, so that said balls may pass freely therethrough. As the curved portions of 'the grooves in this construction extend entirely through the plate, said plate is not supported on the antifriction-balls, as in IIO the prior construction, but rests directly upon the upper surface of the supporting-roller. The operation of this form of device is obviously the same as that of the previouslydescribed construction.

I claim as my inventionl. A ball-caster comprising a part having a concave bearing-surface, a spherical body, a plurality of antifriction-balls, and a gener-A ally horizontal plate between said body and concave bearing-surface provided with two endless races for the balls, one on each side of the center of said plate, and the adjacent parts of which races extend through the plate and are generally parallel with each other and with the plane of rotation of the sperical body, the part of the concave bearing-surface adjacent to the parallel portions of the races being located at a distance from the spherical body, when the caster is in its operative position, equal to the diameter of the antifriction-balls, and the remaining portions of the spherical body and the concave bearing-surface being located at a greater distance apart.

2. A ball-caster comprising a part having a concave bearingsurface, a spherical body, antifriction-balls, and a shifting guide-plate for said antifriction balls, constructed to guide the balls successively away from and toward the -space between the spherical and concave bearing-surfaces.

3. A ball-caster comprising a part having a, concave bearing-surface, a spherical body, antifriction-balls, and a shifting guide-plate located between said body and the bearingsurface provided with an endless race or guidegroove for said balls, a part of which groove extends through the plate.

4. A ball-caster comprising a part having a concave bearing-surface,a spherical body,two sets of antifriction-balls, and a rotating guideplate pivoted to said part concentrically of said bearing-surface, and provided with two grooves or races within which said balls travel, one of said grooves being located on each side of the center of the plate.

5. A ball-caster comprising a part having a concave bearing-surface, a spherical body, antifriction-balls, and a shifting guide-plate interposed between said bearing-surface and spherical body, and provided with an endless race within which said balls are seated, a portion of said race having its sides located in parallel planes and acting to guide the balls in a path parallel with the plane of rotation of the spherical body.

6. A ball-caster comprising a part having a concave bearingsurface, a spherical body and antifriction-balls, of a shifting guide interposed between said bearing-surface and spherical body, and provided with two endless races within which said balls are seated, portions of said races being parallel with each other and adapted to guide the balls in parallel paths across said concave bearing-surface.

7. A ball-caster comprising a part having a concave bearing-surface, a spherical body, antifriction-balls, a shifting guide-plate between said body and bearing-surface provided with a guide-groove or ball-race having parallel side walls which extend therethrough and within which said antifriction-balls travel, said balls having a diameter greater than the thickness of the said plate.

8. A ballvcaster comprising a part provided with a concave bearing-surface, a spherical body, two sets of antifriction-balls, a guideplate between said body and the bearing-surface which is rotatively mounted on a pin which projects from said bearing-surface,said plate being provided at each side of the center thereof with an endlessgroove or race in which said antifriction-bails travel, and the balls only which at a given time occupy the adjacent parts of the grooves receiving the weight brought upon the caster.

9. A ball-caster, comprising apart provided with a concave bearing-surface, a spherical body, two sets of antifriction-balls between said spherical body and the bearing-surface, and a rotative plate interposed between said supporting-roller and bearing-surface which is provided with two endless guide-grooves or races, within which said balls travel, the parts of said grooves adjacent to the center of the plate being parallel with each other and adapted to guide the balls in parallel paths across said concave surface.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 3d day of August, A. D.

WILLIAM H. FAUBER.

Witnesses: C. CLARENCE POOLE,

WILLIAM L. HALL.

IOO

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