| Patent Number: | US3216049 | | Publication Date: | 1965-11-09 | | Application Date: | 1964-06-15 | | Inventor: | HAROLD NEVISON | | | Abstract: | | his invention relates to improvements in caster devices for use on various types of furniture and appliances and more particularly to ball caster devices incorporating low friction features.
It is conventional practice to provide furniture and the like with casters to facilitate moving such furniture over floors, etc., without having to contend with friction caused by sliding such conventional furniture across the floor and ensuing danger of scratching such floors. Such conventional casters have hitherto had the disadvantage that considerable friction is encountered in the caster itself due to the weight, of the article to be moved in conjunction with extra pressure bearing on the ball of a ball caster derived from pre-loading of a spring contained in ball casters of conventional retractable type.
The friction encountered between ball and spring, due to such pre-loading, is often too great to permit the ball in the caster to roll easily around as furniture is moved.
This problem becomes quite considerable upon .such casters being used in conjunction with heavy articles of furniture or appliances such as refrigerators, stoves and the like, a very heavy pre-loading of the spring on the ball of ball casters utilized in conjunction with such furniture or appliances normally being required in order to make the caster ball protrude in unloaded state for movement of the particular appliance, such heavy preloading providing excess friction that hitherto has prevented use of such retractable casters in conjunction with such heavy furniture or appliances. |
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