Abstract: A caster foot assembly for use with an appliance such as a wet/dry vacuum is disclosed. The caster foot assembly comprises a body; at least one vacuum accessory securing post in the body; and a caster receptacle in the body, wherein the securing post and the caster receptacle vertically overlap within the body to lower the center of gravity of the appliance. Furthermore, a portion of the top surface of the securing post is angled to facilitate the securing of accessories to the caster foot assembly.

Abstract: A caster assembly mountable to a frame leg of a movable frame structure having a caster receiving aperture therein. The caster assembly of a preferred embodiment includes a caster having a caster fork, a caster wheel attached to the caster fork, and a mounting shaft attached to a caster fork. The mounting shaft is shaped and sized to extend through the aperture in the frame portion when the caster assembly is in an installed position wherein the caster is adjacent to a bottom side of the frame leg and an intermediate portion of the mounting shaft is adjacent to a top side of the frame leg. The mounting shaft has an generally flat blocking surface extending along a portion of the shaft such that the blocking surface is adjacent to the aperture in the frame leg when the caster is in the installed position. A locking washer is removably connected to the mounting shaft and is mountable to the frame leg.

Abstract: A utility vacuum cleaner tool caddy for utility vacuum cleaner drums as well as an axleless wheel mount are disclosed. The tool caddy has rear and front wheels with integral rear and front bumpers at least partially overlying the rear and front wheels. This provides a wider/larger wheel base/caddy which increases the stability of the utility vacuum cleaner during movement. The rear bumper is also provided with a plurality of spaced openings for receiving a corresponding number of vacuum tools which are stored in an out-of-way location when moving or storing the utility vacuum cleaner. The axleless wheel mount provides a snap-in mounting of individual wheels with full bearing support, thus eliminating the need of an axle between spaced and aligned wheels. Additionally, the wheel support increases the load capacity while improving the overall look and appearance of the base unit or tool caddy.

Abstract: An articulated caster is described which provides a base having more than two casters attached thereto and disposed radially away from the approximate geometric center of the base. A pivot arm includes a pivot housing for receiving and maintaining a pivot ball therein. The pivot housing and pivot ball respectively each are provided with a pivot housing hole and a pivot ball hole which align together when the pivot ball is correctly disposed within the pivot housing. The pivot arm is pivotally attached to the base about a point that is disposed within the pivot ball by a shaft passing through the pivot ball hole, the pivot housing hole, and a pair of holes formed in opposing side walls of the base. According to a preferred modification, an angled slot is provided that is disposed in at least one side of the pivot housing having a width approximately equal to the diameter of the pivot ball hole.

Abstract: A swivel wheel assembly which is easy to assemble and convenient for use includes a tube plug inserted into a tube leg, a pivot pin inserted into the tube plug and a rotary member rotatably secured on the pin. The rotary member supports a shaft and pair of wheels. By using a hard material for the pin, a softer material for the rotary member and a still softer material for the tube plug, friction is reduced. The plug, pin and rotary member are assembled without the use of fasteners. The rotary member includes a resilient flexible member with a key received in a circumferential groove of the pivot pin.

Abstract: A front wheel assembly for a stroller includes a frame attaching member and a wheel attaching member. The frame attaching member includes a sleeve adapted to be securely attached to a front leg of a stroller and defining a through hole with upper and lower ends. A pair of diametrically opposed flexible tongues are formed on the upper end of the through hole with their distal ends radially extending over the through hole. The wheel attaching member includes a wheel seat adapted to mount a pair of front wheels of the stroller and a snapping member projecting upwardly from the wheel seat for releasably engaging with the flexible tongues. A number of flanges are formed around an outer periphery of the snapping member and are in rotational contact with the inner periphery of the through hole.

Abstract: A caddy is placed on a tank where the tank has receptacles beneath it for removably receiving casters. The caddy has support elements which are spaced apart at the spacing of the receptacles around the tank and the caddy being adapted to be placed on the tank with the support elements thereof removably fastened at the receptacles beneath the tank. A plurality of the receptacles around the tank enable the caddy to be placed at various positions around the tank. The invention is particularly useful with the tank of an electric vacuum cleaner.

Abstract: A transport device for moving objects standing on legs having a support unit for a leg (42) of the object. The unit includes a support frame (2), a wheel (10), and a leg engaging apparatus (14, 16, 28, 32, 40) arranged on the support frame at sidewards distance from the wheel. The leg engagement apparatus (16, 28) includes a surface for engaging the leg (42) with the surface force increasing with the load applied by the object on the frame (2). The transport device also includes a side support for supporting the leg transversely to the direction of the load applied by the object on the frame (2).

Abstract: A caster assembly has a stem and ball bearing retainer made of a single homogeneous unit of reinforced plastic, a horn made of a single piece of reinforced plastic, a bottom bearing retainer made of a single piece of reinforced plastic, an upper set of ball bearings between the horn and the upper retainer, a lower set of ball bearings between the horn and the bottom retainer, with the bottom retainer being ultrasonically welded to the unitary stem and retainer.

Abstract: A wheel assembly designed to be adhesively attached to an article. The assembly includes a mounting plate having an upper surface with an adhesive layer and a peel-away protective cover. The cover is designed to be removed to reveal the underlying adhesive layer. The mounting plate further includes a center portion and side portions which are pivotal relative to each other to enable the mounting plate to be adhesively attached to adjacent surfaces of the article. A pair of legs are formed in one piece with the mounting plate and extend away from the bottom surface. Each of the legs has a front edge and a rear edge. The front and rear edges of the legs are inwardly offset from the front and rear edges of the mounting plate to prevent the mounting plate from separating from the article. The pair of legs and the bottom surface of the mounting plate between the legs define a wheel channel. A relatively rigid insert is located within and conforms substantially to the wheel channel.

Abstract: The self-orientatable twin castor has a support made of plastics for a pair of coaxial wheels. The support is constituted by a tubular hub with which a substantially semicircular wall, arranged in the median plane of the castor, is rigidly associated in a perpendicular manner. A semi-cylindrical casing made of metal is associated with the edge of the wall and has wings for positioning and retaining it on the edge of the semi-circular wall.

Abstract: A steering roller arrangement for a trackless floor vehicle in the form of a so-called three-wheeled vehicle is described. With this vehicle, in addition to two running wheels, a steering roller is provided which can be swiveled about a vertical axis by means of a ring mount for traveling in a curved line and to achieve a trailing effect. Relative to the rotatable part of the ring mount, the steering roller is movable between two opposite trailing positions such that, with a reversal of the direction of travel, the required alteration of the steering roller trailing effect is brought about by a corresponding adjustment of the steering roller. In this way uncontrolled veering of the vehicle is avoided which occur with conventional three-wheeled vehicles on account of the rotation of the steering roller by 180.degree. caused by the trailing effect of the steering roller. The steering roller is expediently displaceable in a straight line by a linear guide between the two trailing positions.

Abstract: A wheel caster frame for use in a wet/dry utility vacuum cleaner drum is disclosed. The wheel caster frame is an integral one-piece molded body which is constructed for complementary mounting relative to the bottom and curved outer side walls of the drum, for close fitting and underlying support of the caster wheel frame relative to the drum. The caster wheel frame further includes an upper wall surface having a pair of concentric cylindrical wall sections extending generally vertically upwardly therefrom for releasably receiving and storing vacuum cleaner wands and tubular attachments proximate to the wet/dry utility vacuum cleaner drum.

Abstract: A wheel bracket assembly includes two separate, platelike bracket parts which each have a noncircular opening therein and are disposed on opposite sides of a wheel in angular alignment. The ends of the axle for the wheel extend through the noncircular openings and the bracket parts are fixed against axial and rotational movement with respect to the axle. A method of making the wheel bracket assembly includes the steps of stamping out from at least one metal plate the two bracket parts which are substantially mirror images of each other and have the noncircular opening therethrough, placing the bracket parts in angular alignment on opposite sides of the wheel so that the ends of the axle extend through the noncircular openings, and upsetting each end of the axle to retain the bracket parts in place and so that the material of the axle flows to fill the noncircular openings in the bracket parts and thereby prevent relative rotation of the bracket parts.

Abstract: Desirable casters can be formed by using two separate, interfitting housing members to create the yoke of a caster. As these housing members are assembled they come together so as to hold the wheel of the caster generally between arms of the yoke (which are formed on the housing members) and so as to hold a shaft used in mounting the caster. Fasteners are provided so as to hold the housing members together in an operative configuration.

Abstract: The caster comprises a pair of coaxial wheels mounted in a support wherein a well is formed receiving a pivot pin for articulating the caster to an item of furniture and being extended by a tubular portion above a support shroud, a stiffening collar member being further provided in overlapping relationship with respect to the tubular portion for tightly engaging the shroud and facilitating the coupling of the caster to the furniture item.

Abstract: A castor body comprises integral upper and lower parts (15,21) which can undergo limited relative vertical movement by flexing of arms (25) and (26) of the body. An axle (11) for wheels of the castor is carried in the lower body part and the upper body part has braking elements (27,28) with which the wheels engage when the upper body part is moved upwardly by a spring (24) acting between the body parts.

Abstract: A castor comprises separately formed plastics fork halves 53 and 54 with inwardly extending bosses 76 and 77 formed for detachable bayonet interconnection and providing a hub for the castor wheel 50. The upper parts of the fork halves define with the upper and lower ball races 58 and 67 and securing cap 55 inner end outer ball bearing tracks for the swivelling movement of the castor.

Abstract: A dual wheel caster wherein the parts thereof are fabricated from steel, or other sheet metal, including a body frame member made from a metal stamping having an integral socket for a vertical swivel stem and carrying an axle, and a pair of supporting wheel members on respectively opposite sides of the body frame member and a fender with the wheels supported from the body frame member and comprised of a sheet metal stamping and a bottom support member for the fender.

Abstract: A caster assembly comprising caster wheels, a saddle, mounted pivotally on the wheel axis, having a bore in its upper surface which extends therein offset from and perpendicularly to the wheel axis, a first stem, one end of which is mounted in the saddle bore, the other end of the stem extends vertically upward therefrom; a horizontally extending slab is mounted pivotally on the free end of the first stem; a second stem is mounted pivotally, offset from the first stem and the wheel axis, in the slab and extends upwardly therefrom; the free end of the second stem is mountable in the underside of a rollable object.

Abstract: A wheel unit for attachment with like units to for example a cardboard box to create a wheeled toy for a child comprises a mounting member having three generally orthogonal parts defining a corner for receiving a corner of the cardboard box, a wheel rotatably mounted on the mounting member, and means for fixing the mounting member to the cardboard box.

Abstract: A wheel support arrangement, for supporting a wheel axle in spaced relationship to a leg frame member, such as a leg of a baby carriage, has a resilient element which defines a support for an axle for one or more wheels, and which also defines a part, spaced from the wheel axle support, for its attachment to the leg frame. The resilient element is arranged to permit resilient deflection of the wheel axle support, relative to the leg frame attachment part, along three axes mutually at right angles.

Abstract: A bar or section of uniform cross section, preferably of aluminum alloy, is cut to required lengths to provide blanks which can be used as caster frames with a minimum of machining. The caster frame consists essentially of a first portion defining a hollow space extending vertically therethrough for rotatably receiving a connector rod or pin by which the caster is to be attached to a desired article, and a second portion for supporting the axle of a wheel or wheels. Numerous modifications are possible.

Abstract: A castor wheel having a fork at which upper part a rolling bearing is applied and being provided with a support means or support plate to which by bolt fastening a load or carriage can be connected, the support means being provided with a relatively thin, slightly deformable layer having projections which fit around the support means wherein the layer has projections which fit through bolt openings of the support means by means of a rim-part which resiliently fits over the edge of a bolt opening.

Abstract: A roller unit for use as a caster for luggage, for example, has a sturdy -piece roller housing formed of sheet metal, the housing comprising a rectangular base with raised pads at opposite ends thereof and a roller-receiving shell defined by a pair of opposed U-shaped walls bent from opposite longitudinal edge regions of the base between the pads. Roller units are manufactured seriatim by metal forming operations that do not require deep-drawing.

Abstract: A housing for twin roller castors is described having a cover for the rollers in one piece with a central partition, the latter having hooks on each side disposed circularly around a through-going, rigidly mounted spindle for the rollers for retaining the rollers by engaging a groove on the cylindrical surface of the roller hub, when the roller is mounted upon the spindle.