Ball caster

2,690,584

Oct. 5, 1954

L. FREDDOL1NO

BALL CASTER

Filed June 30, 1953

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INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 5, 1954

2,690,584

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,690,584

BALL CASTER Louis Freddolino, Bronx, N. Y.

Application June 30, 1953, Serial No. 365,089

Claims.

This invention relates to casters, and the main object is the provision of a novel and improved roller or ball caster which is efficient and effective in operation and at the same time simple and inexpensive in cost of manufacture.

This caster is adapted to be secured or attached on the undersides or bottoms of legs of any articles, whether of furniture or other articles adapted to be moved or pushed or pulled from one place to another.

The above broad as well as additional and more specific objects will be clarified in the following description, wherein characters of reference refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended solely for the purpose of illustration and that it is therefore neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the exact details shown or described except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional elevational view of the caster of this invention, taken on the line i—I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the caster.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the same.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numerals I and 2 indicate, respectively, the upper and the lower members of pieces constituting the twopiece frame of the caster, within or between which a large central ball 3 is retained on or between rings, that is upper and lower rings, of balls 4 and 4α, the latter being relatively small.

The upper frame member I comprises a cylindrical housing 6 having a horizontal roof 7 integral therewith and having an internal circumferential groove or raceway 8 in the lower circumferential edge thereof in which small balls 4 ride.

Integral with and extending outward from the upper edge of the cylindrical housing ί, is an annular flange 5 having spaced holes 5α therethrough receptive of screws or the like for attaching the caster to the article of furniture or other article. Between the circumferential wall of the cylinder 6 and the flange 5, a plurality of spaced slots (four such slots are shown in the drawing) 6α are provided through the flange 5. It is to be noted that the thickness of the roof 7 of the cylinder 6 is one-half the thickness of the flange 5.

The lower frame member 2 comprises an elongated cylinder 9 of substantially the same thickness as that of the roof 7 and is provided with a number of upstanding (prior to assembly) fln(Cl. 16—26) gers 10 which pass upward through the slots 6α and are, during assembly, bent inwards flush against the roof 7, as shown in Fig. 1. Thus, in the completed caster the upper surfaces thereof 5 all lie in a common horizontal level, which is desirable for stability of the attached caster.

The lower edge of the cylinder 9 has an internal flange 11 of the same vertical thickness as the cylinder 6, and the flange 11 has an internal 10 circumferential raceway 12 in its lower edge, similar to the raceway 8, and receptive of similar small balls 4α.

The large ball 3, which has a diameter considerably greater than that of the small balls 4 15 and 4α, substantially as illustrated in the drawing, is freely positioned between the rings of balls 4 and 4α, and the lowermost point of the surface of the ball 3 lies in the same horizontal plane as the lowermost points in the surfaces of 20 the balls 4α. Thus, the large ball 3 and the small balls 4α are all in contact with the floor or ground surface.

It is apparent that, with the weight of the supported article thus distributed to the flooi’ 25 through the large ball 3 and the small balls 4α, and with all of the balls 3, 4 and 4 α free to rotate universally, a roller movement along the floor is obtained with a minimum of frictional resistance.

Moreover, with the simplicity of the two-piece frame structure set forth, assembly of the caster is an extremely simple and inexpensive matter. A castei’ constructed along the lines of this invention will serve a long and efficient life.

³⁵ Obviously, modifications in form or structure may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.