Furniture supporting device

July 12, 1960 _A. h. joabson 2,944,366

FURNITURE SUPPORTING DEVICE

Filed May 29, 1958

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ATTORNEYS

United States Patent Office _{PaleBled JaI}²_y^⁴;³^

2,944,36«

FURNITURE SUPPORTING DEVICE

Arthur H. Joabson, 140 Glenwood Ave., Jersey City, N j.

Filed May 29,1958, Ser. No. 738,661

Claims. (CI. 45—137)

This invention relates in general to casters or furniture supporting devices and in particular to a new and useful furniture supporting device adapted to support the furniture safely above a rug on relatively small diameter sup• porting spindles which are threaded through the fibers of i the rug and rest on the subjacent flooring.

The present invention is particularly concerned with f a device for safely supporting furniture above a .fibrous I rug or matting without causing any harm to the rug. I In previous devices of this character it was usual to prof vide widened pieces or platforms which rested directly on the rug and upon which furniture legs were positioned in order to distribute the weight of the furniture over the area of the platform and thus diminish the impression weight exerted on the rugs. With devices of this character it is found that soon after use, the rug receives a permanent impression in the outline of the supporting platform. It is not unusual to completely destroy the resale value of an expensive rug by resting furniture on the usual casters or supporting platforms for any length of time.

The present invention provides a supporting platform which rests directly on the floor below the rug on small diameter, weight distributing supporting spindles. The spindles are of a number and a size to support the weight of furniture contemplated on a platform which is held above the rug. The supporting spindles are easily threaded through the rug without damaging the fibers to any extent. The weight Of the furniture is then distributed directly to the sub-flooring without compressing the fibers of the rug at all. Any damage which may be caused to the subflooring by the weight exerted on the spindles will be negligible and not even visible when the rug is removed. The invention includes a decorative supporting plate which is held in position on the elevated caster by crimped portions of the platform formed by indenting portions of the platform surface. A feature of the construction is that the plate may be decorated and may overlap the elevated caster platform so that the caster and its spindle I legs are not visible, and it is not obvious that the furniture is held in an elevated position above the rug.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide an improved furniture caster.

A further object of the invention is to provide a caster including small diameter spindle supporting legs to position a furniture supporting platform at an elevated position above a supporting floor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a furniture caster and furniture plate combination adapted to support furniture above the floor while obscuring the supporting members from view.

A further object of the invention is to provide a furniture caster which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, the operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a transverse slightly enlarged section of a furniture caster and caster plate constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan of a furniture caster constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the caster indicated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan of the furniture plate constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 5 is a top plan of another embodiment of furniture plate and caster constructed in accordance with the inven15 tion; and

Fig. 6 is a slightly enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 6—6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings in particular the invention as embodied therein includes an improved furniture caster 20 generally designated 10. In Fig. 1 the caster 10 is resting on a floor. 12 on a plurality of spindle supporting legs 14 which hold and position a caster supporting platform 16 at an elevation above a floor rug 18.

In accordance with the invention, the spindles 14 are 25 preferably made of a small diameter, preferably under Vs of an inch and are provided with a well-rounded diamond point to permit their easy threading through the weave of the rug 18 without injuring the fabric thereof to any extent. The spindle supporting legs 14 are preferably 30 made of a material having good compression strength such as a high strength metal. The number of supporting legs 14 which may be required will depend Upon the weight to be supported on the platform 16.

The supporting platform 16 may also be of a durable 35 material, such as metal, to which the spindles 14 are attached, as by welding, as at 20. The platform 16 is crimped as at 22 in a plurality of locations to define positioning and centering abutments 24 either directly for the leg of a piece of furniture positioned thereon or for a 40 furniture plate 26.

The furniture plate 26 advantageously includes a central furniture supporting section 28 upon which a leg 30 of furniture is positioned. In addition, it includes laterally extending skirt portions 32 which extend outwardly beyond the edge of the caster supporting platform 16 and downwardly therefrom into a position normally coinciding with the position of the top of the rug 18. In some instances the skirt 32 may be advantageously made integral with the caster and constructed to obscure the supporting spindles 14 and the supporting platform 16 as well as the furniture leg 30 if desired.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6 a rectangular furniture caster 34 is provided with a similarly rectangular furniture plate 36. The furniture plate 36 is centered and held in position on the caster 34 by indented ⁰⁰ abutments 38 similar to the previous embodiment. It should be appreciated that any shape or design caster including rigid supporting spindles to hold a furniture supporting platform above the normal top of a rug may be advantageously employed. It should also be appreciated that the abutments 38 may be advantageously used to center and hold in position, a furniture leg positioned directly thereon.

Thus, the invention provides a simple means for positioning furniture above a rug without compressing the ⁶⁵ rug at the location of support and causing damage to its fibers. With a caster constructed in accordance with this invention it is possible to support furniture safely above the rug without indicating the supporting means. The furniture plate construction may be advantageously used •0 to decorate the furniture setting in the area of the legs as well as to obscure the supporting caster.

2,944,366

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it v/ill be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing -from such principles.