Claims
- 1. A caster comprised of two basic parts including a substantially circular disc-like body frame and a separate wheel rotatable relative to the body frame, said disc-like body frame having a vertical swivel tube socket formed as an integral part of the body frame, a canted axle mounted on said disc-like frame, a thin gauge hollow sheet metal shell enclosing one side of said disc-like body frame and said swivel tube socket, said metal shell extending over the peripheral edge of the disc-like body frame and being crimped over such edge to secure the shell on the body frame, said wheel being rotatably mounted on said axle and having a tread portion overlying said crimped over metal shell at the edge of the disc-like body frame, and a thin gauge hollow sheet metal shell enclosing the open side of said wheel and the axle and secured to a tread portion of the wheel.
- 2. A caster as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tread portion overlying said crimped over metal shell comprises a first tread portion and said thin gauge hollow sheet metal shell enclosing the open side of said wheel is secured under a second tread portion.
- 3. A caster assembly including a body frame member comprising a generally circular plate having an aperture therein forming a central hub, a plane lying generally in the perimeter of said frame member being disposed at an acute angle to the vertical, a vertical swivel tube rigidly associated with said body frame member adapted to receive a stem therein, an axle nonrotatively fixed in and carried by said central hub, said axle having an axis perpendicular to said plane, a wheel rotatably mounted on said axle, a stem having one end rotatably positioned in said swivel tube and having another end projecting from said tube and carrying attachment means thereon, said wheel being fabricated from separate parts each having a web portion with said web portions disposed in face-to-face engagement and secured together, one wheel part having an outer annular rim and an inner annular hub, the other wheel part having an outer hub in axial alignment with said inner hub, and a bearing sleeve extending into the inner and outer hubs rotatably mounting said wheel on said axle.
- 4. A caster assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said outer hub has a closed outer end and said axle has a head on one end thereof enclosed by said closed outer end.
- 5. A caster assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said bearing sleeve has an outstanding flange overlying the inner end of said inner hub.
- 6. A caster assembly comprised of two basic parts including a body frame and a separate wheel rotatable relative to the body frame, said body frame having a vertical swivel tube rigidly associated with the body frame, a canted axle fixedly mounted on said body frame, a thin gauge hollow shell enclosing one side of said body frame and said swivel tube, said shell extending over the peripheral edge of said body frame at least in part to secure the shell on said body frame, said wheel being rotatably mounted on said axle and having a tread portion overlying the shell extending over said peripheral edge of the body frame, and a thin gauge hollow shell enclosing the open side of said wheel and secured to a rim portion of said wheel.
- 7. A caster assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said body frame comprises a generally circular plate having a central hub mounting said axle.
- 8. A caster assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said generally circular plate is axially dished and said central hub includes a closed end enclosing said axle.
- 9. A caster assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said body frame comprises a precision cast skeletonized structure including an integral hub mounting said axle and said swivel tube is integral with said structure.
- 10. A caster assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said skeletonized structure encompasses less than the full circumference of the body frame and includes segmental portions disposed respectively at opposite sides of a vertical line through the axis of the caster.
- 11. In a caster assembly comprised of two basic parts including a body frame and a wheel rotatably mounted relative to an axle carried by the body frame as set forth in claim 6 wherein said wheel is comprised of two basic parts including a first member having an annular outer rim and an annular inner hub connected by an intermediate web, a second member having an annular outer hub in axial alignment with the inner hub and an integral web disposed in face-to-face engagement with said intermediate web and secured thereto, and a bearing sleeve in said aligned hubs between the wheel structure and said axle.
- 12. A caster assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said axle has a head on one end disposed in said outer hub and the outer hub has a closed end enclosing said head.
- 13. A caster assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said sleeve is nonmetallic with a flanged outer end overlying the inner end of said inner hub with the inner end of the sleeve terminating in proximity to said axle head.
- 14. A caster assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said intermediate web has an offset inwardly of said rim and said web on the outer hub having an outwardly turned flange underlying said offset.
- 15. A caster assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said outwardly turned flange includes a portion that extends beyond the outer face of said first member, and a cover enclosing said outer hub having a snap-fit engagement with said outwardly turned flange portion.
- 16. A caster assembly as set forth in claim 11 having a tread material mounted on said annular outer rim.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 748,165, filed Dec. 7, 1976, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
876282 |
Aug 1961 |
GBX |
1317620 |
May 1973 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
748165 |
Dec 1976 |
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