US1686894A - Receding or disappearing caster or roller - Google Patents

Description

' Oct. 9, 1

H., A. BUCKERT ET AL RECEDING OR DISAPPEAR ING CASTER OR ROLLER Filed Nov. 23, 1925 W MW m fir .n 6 f m 4 m2 M5 raised above the floor when nominali Patented Get. 9,

i, 1 6 P T; f

HOMER A.. BuoKEnnoFs'r. Louis, AND EARL K. HALL, or UNIvERsIrYoiTY; v

. i MISSOURI;

i BECEDING on nisarrnanme'casrna OER-omen,

Application filed November Our invention relates to fin'iproven'ients in receding or disappearing casters or rollers, and has for its prin' a'ry object ac'aster or roll er for furniture, fixtures, furnishings, crates, cases, ,etc. and which is designedto. support the articlein such manner that itwil-l be I v i loaded so as towpermit it to be readily movechbut upon any additional weight. being placed thereon the casters or rollers will recede or disappear into the support so that the major weight of the loaded article ill be carried by itssupport. 1 I p Our de'viceis especially useful for automobile creepers and the like, in that it permits the casters or rollers to move up into the body or base when any excessive; weight 'hasbeen placed thereon, such as in the case an auto-- mobilefruns over the creeper. This permits the body of the creeperto sink to the floor and contactsolidly therewith so that the vehicle can pass over the creeperwithout. breaking V the body thereof, and as soon as the vehicle has passed, the creeper will be raised trom the floor due to the projection of the casters or rollers. This makes our device especially use: ful for garage and repair shop uses as'it has frequently happened that with the old style of creeper, the mechanic neglected to remove the same to a secured place and a vehicle passthereover would absolutely ruin the creeper because the body portion thereof was rigidly sustained at apredetermined distance'above the floor. Our device, however, absolutely obviates any of this trouble.

A still further objectis to equip furniture of any kind, whether for home, oftice or face tory use, with casters or rollers so constructed that upon the article itself becoming weighted, for any reason whatsoever, the casters will recede or disappear or rather be pushed up into the support that a firm foundation will be Liven the article, thus obviatin anv )ossii lbility of the casters or rollers, or he supports in which they are mounted, becoming broken and consequently useless.

Bythe use of our device any article may be mounted on casters or rollers so as to permit it to be readily moved about but at the same time, when any added weight other than that predetermined, is sustained by the article the casters or rollers will move-upward into the support so that the article will have a solid.

and firm foundation but. when the weight on the article is removed, the casters Wlll auto- 23, 1925. serial-no. 70,824;

matically resume their function. This makes our device especially applicable to chairs,filrug cabinets, bookcases, and sim lar-art cles, because none of bllQSBfiltlClGSillQ' to moved while excessively loaded but, as soon asthe excess load is removed, the casters will automatically intojoperation and permit ready moving the article. In short,or ir.device is designed to be applied to any article which requires moving and which jisl designed to carry a variable load so that when the excess load is ,rei'noved, the casters or rollers, which areresiliently; mounted, will-be forced downward and come into act-ion' but, assoonas any load is placed on the article,they,will recede or disappear and the load be supported by the article itself. 1 p 1 4 .V

The drawingis a fragmental vertical sectionof our caster as secured in a support. In

the drawing we'.,h ave}jshown a housing 27,

which is seated'ina support 28, The'housing f is provided w thia central opening 2-9 through which the shankv30rprojects and which opening is sufficiently large to permit the shank to tilt when the roller recedes into "the housmg. I

Surrounding the shank 30 is a plate 31, which may, or may not be provided with bearing balls 32 and which is provided with downwardly projecting ears 83. Mounted between the ears 33 is a bifurcated arm 34, the lower end of which carries a'roller 35. 30 is also carried by this arm and extends through the opening in the plate 31, which opening isof the same diameter approximately as thediameter of the opening 29.

Interposed between theplate 31 and arm 34; is spring 36. which preferablysurrounds the slank 30 although this is notnecessary, the normal tendency of the spring being to ditional weight rests thereon. The bearing balls 32 when. used permit the plate 31 to swivel readily and thus carry the roller with it so that the article can be easily movedin any d1rect1on,the principal object being to provide any movablearticle. either household, olfice or factory. with a roller means resiliently mounted, said roller means permit ting the article to be freely moved about iii:

The shank under its own or a predetermined weighabut, I

as soon as any additional weightother than that predetermined is placed fonthe article,

this additional weight will cause the article to sink down and rest on its supports so that at no time will the casters or rollers support this overweight, and by our construction all breaking of the rollers or casters or their breaking out of the supporter their collapse due to additional weight being placed on the article is eliminated, but at the same time any article supplied with these receding or disappearing casters or rollers can be readily moved about after the excess weight has been removed.

Having fully described our invention, What weclaim is l 1. In a device of the class described a support having a recess therein, a-housing located in said recess, a plate rotatably mounted in said-housing, an arm pivotally secured at one end to said plate, a roller carried by the apposite end of said arm, a shank carried by said arm and extending through said plate and housing, and means located between said arm and said plate and surrounding said shank for normally causing said roller to proj ect'below saidhousing.

2; In a device of the class described a support having a recess therein, a housing located in said recess, a plate rotatably mounted in said housing, an arm pivotally secured at one end to said plate, a roller carried by the opposite end of said arm, means located between said arm and said plate for normally causing said roller to project below said housmg, and means for limiting the projection of i the roller.

8. In a device of the class described a sup- I port provided with a recess 1n.1ts underneath surface, a housing opened at its bottom located in said recess, an arm pivotally secured at one end located iii-said housing, means for rotatably securing said arm in' said housing, a

roller carried by the free end of said arm and 1 adapted to normally project below said housing and support,'and resilient means within said housing for yieldingly holding said roller in. normally projected position.

7 4. In a device of the class describeda sup-c port provided witha recess 1n its-underneath surface, a housing opened at its bottom locat- HOMER A. BUGKERT. EARL HALL.

of projection

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