US2974352A - Furniture glider - Google Patents

Description

March 14, 1961 H. A. LOCKWOOD FURNITURE GLIDER Filed Aug. 9, 1955 J 7 JW JNVENTOR. Haw/ g A Lock Wood BY J AGENT United States Patent Ofiice FURNITURE GLIDER Harry A. Lockwood, Bridgeport, Conn.

(% Driaire Iuc., 132 S. Main St., South Nor-walk, Conn.)

Filed Aug. 9, 1955, Ser. No. 527,380

7 Claims. (Cl. 1642) This invention relates to furniture gliders, and more particularly to devices of this type which are fabricated as separate units or attachments and are attachable to the legs of tables, chairs, stands and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved furniture glider of the type having universal angular movement, which is extremely simple in its construction and economical to fabricate.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improvide furniture glider as above set forth, which may be made entirely from simple, high-production, sheet-metal parts which are very inexpensive to produce in quantity.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved furniture glider as characterized above, wherein the assembly operations and assembly labor costs are maintained at an absolute minimum.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified sheet metal furniture glider having universal movement, wherein but a single, simple operation is required in order to assemble the various components.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved furniture glider of the above type, which is extremely durable and sturdy in its construction.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved furniture glider as above characterized, which effects but a very small increase in the height of the furniture to which it is attached.

Still another feature in the invention resides in the provision of an improved sheet metal furniture glider which is relatively small, light in weight, compact in its construction and neat in appearance.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved sheet metal furniture glider of the above character, which has simplified and efiective means for securely retaining the glider 'to the furniture leg.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified furniture glider which is readily adjustable as to height, to enable the article to which it is attached to be adapted to an uneven floor surface. Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts wherever possible in the several views, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side'elevational view of a furniture glider made in accordance with the invention, attached to the leg of an article of furniture.

Fig. 2 is a vertical axial sectional view of the furniture glider shown in Fig. 1, drawn to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, showing a furniture glider illustrating a modification of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of a furniture glider attached to a tubular furniture leg, illustrating yet another form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation and vertical section of a furniture glider like that shown in Figs. 4 and 5,

but constituting another embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, showing a furniture glider made in accordance with the invention, incorporating a vertical adjustment.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the improved furniture glider of this invention has a generally flat base '10 which is preferably formed to have a circular configuration, although it may have any other suitable shape or outline. superposed on the base 10 is a socket-forming member 11 comprising a concave portion 12 and a domeshaped portion 13, the latter being disposed outwardly of the portion 12 and being shown as substantially frustoconical in shape. The concave portion 12 is hereinafter sometimes referred to as a downwardly dished portion, since it is generally of spherical configuration and somewhat in the form of a bowl.

For the purpose of positioning the socket member 11 on the base 10 the peripheral portion of the latter is formed to constitute an upturned flange 14 which functions as a nest for the said member.

In the socket formed by the dished or concave portion 12 of the member 11 there is disposed a ball-like member 15 which is cooperable with the socket to provide for limited universal angular movement of the member 15. Within the ball-like member 15 I provide a concave or dished washer 16 constituting part of a unique means by which the ball-like member is retained in thesocket without impeding the said limited universal movement.

In accordance with the present invention I form the base 10 in a novel manner to constitute another portion of said unique retaining means, by which there is made possible a simple assembly operation of the components of the glider, reducing to a minimum the assembly operations and cost.

Referring to Fig. 2 the central portion of the base 10 is formed to constitute a tubular eyelet or rivet 17 extending upwardly through the dished portion 12 of the member 11 and through the dished washer 16. The rivet portion 17 of the base has its upper end 18 flared outward or headed over the washer 16, and such heading is preferably accomplished with a certain degree of restraint whereby the parts 12, 15 and 16 are not clamped tightly together against relative movement but instead there is permitted a sliding movement of the ball-like member or part 15. The heading-over of the rivet portion 17 may, for example, be done by a comparatively simple, kick-press operation utilizing a suitable punch,

or the rivet end may be spun over by suitable spinning with a furniture leg for securing the member 15 thereto,

to support the base 10 in operative position. As shown in Fig. 1 the collar 20 is arranged to receive the leg 22 and to wholly enclose the lower tip of the leg.

F or the purpose of securely retaining the leg 22 in the collar 20 I provide a plurality of fingers 23 extending angularly inward and converging toward the axis of the collar, said fingers being carried by the upper edge of the collar and being arranged to engage and bite into theleg 22 to securely retain the collar thereon. Preferably 2,914,352 Patented Mar. 14, 1961 3. the fingers 23 are carried by an inturned flange 24 on the upper edge of the collar, as shown in Fig. 2.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 3, wherein a nio'difiedforrn of attaching means is"pro-" vided on the ball-like member 15.- In Fig. 3 a plurality of prongs 25 is provided, said prongs having straight side portions 26 and extending upward from the periphery of the member 15 for embedment in a wooden furniture leg. I provide shoulders 27 at the bases of the prongs 25 for abutment with the end of the furniture leg, to accurately position the member 15 thereon. By the provision of the straight sides 26 the prongs 25 will be securely retained in the leg. I

Still another embodimentof the invention is shown in Fig. 4, wherein the ball-like member 15 has a different means by which it is attached to a furniture leg. In Fig. 4 I provide a bushing 28 on the member 15, said bushing being arranged to be slidably received in the lower end portion of a tubular furniture leg 29. An outturned bead or shoulder 30 is provided on the bushing 28, to abut the bottom edge of the leg 29 and position the bushing accurately therein. Spring fingers 31 are formed in the bushing 28' and biased outwardly to frictionally engage the leg 29 and retain the bushing therein.

In Fig. the furniture glider of Fig. 4 is shown as installed on a hollow wooden leg 32, and for such installation I prefer to utilize a flat washer 33 on top of the bead 30, to abut the end of the leg 32.

Another modification of the invention is shown in Fig. 6, wherein the bushing 28 is provided with spring retaining fingers 34 which are initially formed tohave a bowed shape with their central portions projecting into the interior of the bushing when the tips of the fingers are fiush with the bushing exterior. By this organization the washer 33 may be readily put into place, and thereafter the fingers 34 caused to project outwardly by the simple operation of inserting a round punch or mandrel in the bushing 28.

By the present invention there is also provided a vertically adjustable furniture glider, as shown in Fig. 7. In this figure the member 15 is provided with an upwardly extended tubular portion 35 having an outturned flange 36 at its upper extremity. The tubular portion 35 is disposed within a tubular housing 37 having an inturned flange 38 at its lower extremity, and having prongs 39 at its opposite or upper end for embedment in a wooden furniture leg. 40. Within the tubular extension 35 a helical coil spring 41 is disposed, engaging the bottom of the member 15 and the end of theleg 40. Thus the member 15 is normally urged downward to an extended position by the spring 41.

I provide a locking device comprising a flat metal locking ring 42 disposed within thehousing 37 and adapted to clinch the tubular extension 35 of the member 15 when the ring is canted. The locking ling 42 has an operating finger 43 extending outward through an opening 44 in the housing 37. Also disposed in the housing 37 is a curved leaf spring 45 engaging the under side of the locking ring 42 at a point opposite the finger 43, thereby to normally cant the ring and cause it to clinch the extension 35.

In the operation of this form of the invention, where for example, tour furnituregliders areinstalled on. a stand or table resting on anuneven floor, one gliderbeing vertically adjustable as shown in Fig. 7, the user-need merely raise the corner of the table having the adjustable glider sutliciently to cause the remaining three gliders to engage the uneven floor surface. The spring 41 will extend the member 15 downward, unlocking the ring 42, and the user mayfacilitate this operation by upward pressure on the finger 43. The user then presses downward on the finger 43, whereupon the. glider is locked in properly extended position to' prevent rocking of the table or stand despite the uneven surface on which 1t-is resting.

Itwill be understood from the above description that I have provided a unique, extremely simple and economical-to-manufacture furniture glider adapted to constitute an attachment for existing furniture legs. My furniture glider has relatively few parts, may be fabricated entirely from sheet metal components capable of economical mass production, and may be readily assembled. In connection with such assembly it will be noted that but a single assembly operation is required, that of stacking the components in their proper positions and effecting a heading-overMof-the tubulanrivet portion 17 of the base 10.

The various components may be made of steel for mechanical strength, and maybe plated or otherwise finished. Preferably the base 10 is made of brass or other non-corrosive metal so that it will not rust and mark up the supporting surface even though it becomes scratched.

As clearly seen in Fig. 2, the improved furniture glider of this invention does not cause the. furniture to be raisedappreciably above the level existant prior to attachment of the gliders.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A furniture glider comprising a substantially flat base for engagement with the floor; means on said base, providing a socket open from above; a hollow ball-like member disposed in said socket and cooperable therewith to provide for limited universal angular movement of said member; ball-like means rigid and immovable on and with respect to said base, extending into, engaging the inside of, and retaining said ball-like member in the socket at all times without appreciable looseness regardless of the position of the base with respect to said ball-like member and without impeding said limited universal movement; and means on said ball-like member, engageable with a furniture leg for securing the member thereto to support the said base in operative position.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the means for securing the ball-like member to the furniture leg includes a collar integral with said member and arranged to receive the leg, and includes integral means comprising a tightly folded double thickness edge of the collar, engaging and biting into the leg to retain the collar thereon.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 in which the means to retain the collar includes inturned fingers on the folded edge, having angularly-extended blunt tips converging toward the axis of the collar.

4. The invention as defined in claim 2 in which one thickness of the. double thickness edge comprises an inturned flange on the edge, having angularly-extended blunt fingers converging toward the axis of the collar.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the balllike means includes a cupped washer within the balllike member, and includes a rivet-like fastener extending through themember and engaging the inside of the washer.

6. The. inventionas defined in claim 5 in which the fastener comprises a tubularrivet constituting an integral part of the base, said rivet being headed over on the washer...

7. Agfurnitureglider comprising a substantially flat base. forengagement with the floor; means on said base, providing a socket open from above; a hollow ball-like member disposed in said socket and cooperable there-. with to provide for limiteduniversal angular movement of said member; means on said base, extending into and 5 in operative position, said means for securing the balllike member to the furniture leg including a bushing arranged to be received in a tubular leg, said bushing having resilient fingers integral with it and bowed to project inwardly into the interior of the bushing at their centers with the tips of the fingers flush with the walls of the bus-hing, thereby to enable a washer to be readily slipped over the bushing, said tips being adapted to be extended by insertion of a plug-like tool into the bushing, thereby to enable the tips to engage and bite into the leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 652,426 Clark June 26, 1900 836,303 Christensen Nov. 20, 1906 842,641 Ferman Jan. 29, 1907 1,050,352 Deutsohman Jan. 14, 1913 6 Voss Mar. 18, 1919 Child Mar. 2, 1920 Sehulte Ian. 22, 1924 Sohulte May 13, 1924 Stoddard Nov. 14, 1933 Gray Aug. 6, 1935 Shastock Aug. 25, 1936 Eberle May 26, 1942 Matter Sept. 2, 1952 Kramcsak June 9, 1953 Metz July 10, 1956 Kramesak Aug. 7, 1956' FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Aug. 9, 1919 Great Britain Nov. 16, 1943 5 Germany Feb. 26, 1953

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