US1137329A - Lock-lever caster. - Google Patents

Description

J. A. JOHNSON.

LOCK LEVER CASTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. l5. m5.

1,137,329. Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

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J.fl. Johnson.

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J. A. JOHNSON.

LOCK LEVER CASTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-15. 1915.

1,137,329, Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS SHEEI 2.

( in umtoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. JOHNSON, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB. TO THE M. B. SCHENCK COMPANY, OF MEBIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

LOCK-LEVER CASTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN A. JoHNsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Meriden, county of. New, Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock-Lever Casters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to brakes for casters,

1 and has for its object to hold the caster roller firmly as against rotation, and to restore the parts to normal condition so that the roller will be free to rotate, and furthermore to effect these results without employing any spring action to the parts and by causing the locking element to bind in its locked position firmly and flatly against the caster roller.

With these ends in view my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

My invention may be embodied in several forms all of which in substance are mechanically the same, and I have therefore shown and will hereinafter describe these forms.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken, of one,

form of my improvement with the parts in unlocked condition. Fig. 2 is likewise a side elevation of the structure shown at F 1, partly broken, and showing the position of the parts in locked condition. Fig. 3 is a section at the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation similar to Fig. 2 except that in Fig. 2 the pivot of the lock lever is a studextending inwardly from one horn of the caster while in Fig. 4 this pivotal connection is formed by a stud extending from the lock lever into a. perforation in one horn of the caster. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the lock lever utilized in the construction shown at Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 4, except that it shows a pivotal point for the lock lever consisting of a lip outwardly extending from the latter within a perforation in one hem of the caster. Fig. 7

is a perspective view of the lock lever utilized in the construction shown at Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 except that the cam teat extends inwardly from one horn of the caster and normally engages a perforation in the lock lever when the parts are in unlocked position, while in locking position this teat is forced outside of said perforation against the lock lever. Fig. 9 is a section at the line 99 of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a section at the line '10-l0 of Fig. 8, but showing the parts in normal condition with the cam teat extending within the perforation in the lock lever, and Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the form of lock lever utilized in the structure shown at Figs. 8, 9, and 10.

Similar numerals of reference denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing. A peculiarity of my invention, in all its forms, is that the lock lever is pivotally connected to one horn of the caster eccentric of the pintle of the caster roller and between said horn and roller, and that not only has this lever a free rocking movement around its pivot but also a sliding movement lengthwise of the pivotal connection. Also, in all forms of my improvement, the locking. is effected by means of interengaging surfaces I carried by the lever and the inner face of the horn member, and in all instances these surfaces engage with a cam action which forces the broad surface of the lock lever firmly and flatly against the adjacent side of the caster roller so as to bind the latter firml throughout an extended area. Also, in al forms of my improvement shown, no special stops are required to limit the rocking movements of the lock lever, since, in all instances, the movement of this lever to free the caster roller is limitedby the abutment of the upper part of the lever against the bridge frame, while the movement of such lever to lock the caster roller is limited by the abutment of the lower edge of the lever against the pintle of the roller.

extends upwardly, and 5 is the caster roller pivoted between the horns l, 2,..ncar the lower endthereof, means of the pintle 6, all of which parts w en properly assembled as shown constitute the usual form of caster.

In adapting my improvement to acaster, I utilize a lock lever-which comprises a plate 7 which is vertically disposed in the assembled structure the lower extremities of this plate being formed with rectangular extending step- like portions 8, 9, for convemence in manipulating the lock lever as will be more fully explained.

Extendingfinwardl'yfrom the horn 1 and eccentric of the pintle'fi is a stud 10 which latter projects through a circular perforation 11 in the plate 7 whereby a pivotal point for the lock lever is afforded.

12 is a teat carried by the plate 7 and extending beyond the surface thereof toward the horn member 1 ably forced from the stock of the plate as shown.

By placing the foot upon the step 8 and forcing the latter downwardly the lock lever will be swung to theposition shown at Fig. 2 and during the course of this swinging movement the teat 12 will cam against the inner face of the hOl'll'l and thereby force the lock lever throughout its entire broad area against the side surface of the roller 5, thus locking the latter against rotation, and in this connection it will be observed that the lock-lever does not impinge against the roller at a mere point or throughout a comparatively small area of the side face of the roller, but that, owing to the fact that the pivotal relation of the lock lever is such that it can slidefreelyalong such pivotal point, substantially the entire area of the lock lever is bound against a very substantial area of the side surface of the roller.

-When the parts are in the position shown at Fig. 1, to which position they have been brought by pressure against the step 9, it will be observed that. the top edge of the plate 7 is in abutment .a ainst the bridge 3 of the caster,- thus adoring a stop {and it will be observed by reference to Fig. 2 that, when the parts are in locked condition, the lower edge of the plate 7 will be in abutment against the ipmtle of the caster, thus likewise affording a stop engagement.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, instead of the stud projecting from the inner face of the hornl through a perforation in the plate 7, a similar stud 13 extends from the plate perforation 14 ii! the horn 1, and this stud 13 may be formed from the plate 7 by a drawing operation-0r it may be secured thereto in any suitable manner.

Referring to Figs. (Sand 7, I have shown.

a pivotal structure of the same character as that shown at Figs. 4 and 5-except that a lip this teat being prefer-' 15 of the proper dimensions is cut from the stock of the plate 7 and is extended at right angles thereto so as to form a which extends through the per oration 14. In other words, this stud 15 performs the same function as the stud 13 the only difference being that it is not circular in cross section. V

The structures which have been described all contemplate the provision of the cam teat as a part of the lock lever, and when the parts are in unlocked positions this teat projects outwardly beyond the inner face of the horn member 1, but, of course, such teat portion may extend from the inner face of the horn member itself so that when the lever is operated such teat may exert a camming action against the lever to force the same into locking contact with the face of the caster roller, and accordingly, referring to Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11, I have shown a teat 16 extending from the inner face of the horn member 1, and preferably formed by forcing the stock of said member inwardly, and in normal or unlocked position this teat extends within a perforation 17 in the lock lever, as more particularly shown at Fig. 10, and when the latter is operated to perform its function of locking the caster roller, this perforation 17 will be forced clear of the teat 16 and the latter will cam against the outer face of the plate 7 of the lever so as to force the latter, in the manner hereinbefore described, firmly against the side face of such roller, as more particularly shown at Fig. 9.

From the above description it will be clear that the essential features of my improvement comprise the arrangement of the look ing lever between the horn and caster roller, the .sliding pivotal connection between said lever and the adjacent horn of the caster and eccentric ofthe pintle of the roller itself, and finally the engagement of surfaces, carried by the horn member and lock lever, with a cam-like action, wherebytthe broad area of the lock lever is firmly impinged against a substantial area of the side ace of the caster roller, all of which features are embodied in and form a characteristic of the various structures illustrated and hereinbefore described. Further it will benoted that I do not employ any I soever, nor do I re y on the resiliency of any part ofmy structure in effecting the result aimed at.

While I prefer to provide for pivotal connection between the lock levei' and horn member that is eccentric of the axis. of the pintle that passes through the caster roller, nevertheless it is fully within my invention to pivot said lever around said pintle, because the cam action of the surfaces carried 'by the lever and horn would be precisely the spring feature, what ivotal stud I same as in the structures hereinbefore described, and I therefore do not wish my invention limited in this respect.

What I claim as new is 1. A look lever caster, comprising spaced horn members, a caster roller, :1 pin extending through said members and roller whereby the latter is journaled, and a brake lever interposed between one of the horn members and the roller and pivoted to said horn member eccentric to said pin.

2. A lock lever caster, comprising spaced horn members, a caster roller, a pin extending through said members and roller whereby the latter is journaled, and a pivoted brake lever interposed between one of the horn members and the roller and having a lateral projection adapted to be forced against said horn member to bind said lever firmly against the side face of the roller thereby locking the latter.

3. A lock lever caster, comprising spaced horn members, a caster roller, a pin extending through said members and roller whereby the latter is journaled, and a brake lever pivotally connected to the inner face of one of-said horn members and capable of lateral movement, said lever and horn member having interengaging means for causing thelever to be forced firmly against theside of the roller when said lever is swung to locking position.

4. A lock lever caster, comprising spaced horn members, a caster roller, a pin extending through said members and roller whereby the latter is journa-led, and a brake lever between one of the horn members and the roller, said lever and horn member having a pivotal relation eccentric to said pin and also havi interengaging cam surfaces, whereby when the lever is in unlocked position the roller is free to rotate, but when said lever is swung to locked position it will be forced firmly against the side face of the roller to lock the latter as against rotation.

5. A look lever caster, comprising spaced horn members, a caster roller, a pin extending through. said members and roller whereby the latter is journaled, and a brake lever pivoted to the inner face of one horn member eccentric to said pin and having its locking and unlocking movements limited by said pin and by the caster frame.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

W. A. SCHENCK, M. F. RASTED.

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