Abstract: To prevent "shimmying", due to uncontrolled swivelling of a castor during non-engagement of its wheel or wheels with the ground, frictional resistance to swivelling is provided. An upper or lower cap or cover for the bearing between the castor body and its mounting head can thus be non-rotatably engaged with the mounting head and frictionally engaged with the body. Additionally, or instead, a spring washer around the mounting head in an aperture in the body containing the bearing can provide this friction.

Abstract: A caster has two wheels with tires non-rotatably secured to a wheel center and shaped with an internal cylindrical drum surface. A brake member pivoted on the caster body has two side walls with out-turned edge portions engageable with respective drum surfaces. The engagement may be at an upper position, or opposite the ground-engaging portion of the wheels.

Abstract: A castor has a two-armed integrally formed spring metal brake member which is pivoted on the castor body for selective movement between a braking position, in which a detent portion on one arm brakingly engages teeth on the castor wheel, to prevent wheel rotation, and a detent portion on the other arm engages teeth on a mounting member on which the body swivels, to prevent swivelling, and a release position in which the detent portions are spaced from the teeth.

Abstract: A castor has a brake rod (20;120;220) extending through a hollow stem (10) on which a body (4) carrying a pair of castor wheels (2) is rotatably mounted. The brake rod is moveable substantially vertically between an inoperative position and a braking position in which its lower end engages the surface on which the wheel (2) rest. Opposition to braking movement can be provided by a return spring (39;222) or by a spring arm (122). Movement of the brake rod can be effected by a cam (140) acting on the spring arm (122) or by a cam (40;240) acting on a lever (35;230) engaging the upper end of the brake rod. The brake rod (10) can be arranged to have an intermediate position in which rotation of the castor body (4) is prevented.

Abstract: A castor comprises a moulded plastics body (1) having a socket for a swivel pin and a center wall (6) with an aperture of which the edge is formed as the outer ball track (9) of a ball bearing. Two moulded plastics wheels (2) have hollow hub portions (11) extending towards the center wall and shaped to co-operate to provide the inner ball track (17) of the ball bearing.

Abstract: A single or twin wheel castor has a body (4,14; 90) journalling the wheel (92) or wheels (2) about a horizontal axis, with the body capable of swivelling on a mounting member (16) about a vertical axis spaced from the wheel axis. An operating member (25) is movable axially but non-rotatably by a cam (30) along the vertical axis between a lower position in which the body is held to the operating member and thus to the mounting member in a predetermined angular orientation, the whole being free to turn, an intermediate position in which the wheels are free to turn and the body is free to swivel and an upper position in which a wheel braking force is applied frictionally or mechanically by a brake lever (44, 105), the engagement of the operating member with the brake lever also holding the body in its angular position when the brake was applied.

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.