U.S. patent application number 12/584825 was filed with the patent office on 2012-04-19 for adjustable roller leg.
Invention is credited to Steven Levine.
Application Number | 20120091299 12/584825 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45933302 |
Filed Date | 2012-04-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120091299 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Levine; Steven |
April 19, 2012 |
Adjustable roller leg
Abstract
An adjustable roller leg assembly, in a first embodiment, has a
mounting cylinder, a housing cylinder, a bearing assembly, and a
bearing engagement cylinder. The bearing assembly has a stem
affixed to the housing cylinder, leaving the bearing protruding
beyond the housing cylinder end. The bearing engagement cylinder is
threadably inserted into the housing cylinder, which is threadably
inserted into the mounting cylinder. The adjustable roller leg
assembly is then attached to an article. Article movement occurs by
rotation of the bearing engagement cylinder to engage the bearing
against the housing, so that the bearing protrudes beyond the open
end of the bearing engagement cylinder and contacts the floor.
Stationary support is achieved by counter-rotating the bearing
engagement cylinder until the bearing is completely contained
therein, so that the bearing engagement cylinder contacts the
floor. Article height adjustment is by housing cylinder rotation
relative to the mounting plate cylinder.
Inventors: |
Levine; Steven; (Scarsdale,
NY) |
Family ID: |
45933302 |
Appl. No.: |
12/584825 |
Filed: |
September 11, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11303741 |
Dec 16, 2005 |
7588219 |
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12584825 |
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60636826 |
Dec 16, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
248/188.4 ;
248/188.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16M 7/00 20130101; A47B
91/022 20130101; B60B 33/0073 20130101; B60B 33/08 20130101; B60B
33/0055 20130101; B60B 33/0039 20130101; B60B 33/0049 20130101;
B60B 33/04 20130101; B60B 33/0007 20130101; B60B 33/0018 20130101;
B60B 33/0068 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/188.4 ;
248/188.5 |
International
Class: |
A47B 91/02 20060101
A47B091/02; A47B 91/16 20060101 A47B091/16 |
Claims
1. An adjustable roller leg assembly comprising a mounting
cylinder, a housing cylinder, a bearing assembly, and a bearing
engagement cylinder; said mounting cylinder comprised of a mounting
means for securing said roller leg to an article and a cylinder
portion, said cylinder portion capable of threadably retaining said
housing cylinder; said housing cylinder having a first housing end
and a second housing end, said first housing end being threadably
retained in said mounting plate cylinder and said second housing
end having an opening for receiving said bearing assembly and said
bearing engagement cylinder; said bearing assembly having a first
end with a means for rolling on a surface being mounted in said
bearing assembly and a second end that is securable to said first
housing end of said housing cylinder, said bearing engagement
cylinder having an inner surface and an outer surface, at least a
portion of said outer surface residing in said housing cylinder,
said outer surface of said bearing engagement cylinder being
threadably secured to said housing cylinder, said bearing
engagement cylinder being adapted to be moved through rotation from
a first position to a second position and where one of said first
and second positions of said bearing engagement cylinder is a
retracted position that permits said means for rolling to protrude
beyond said bearing engagement cylinder, and said other position of
said bearing engagement cylinder is an extended position whereby
said means for rolling does not protrude beyond said bearing
engagement cylinder.
2. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 1 wherein
said means for rolling is a spherical ball bearing.
3. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 1 wherein
said means for rolling is a caster.
4. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 3 wherein
said caster further comprises a wheel.
5. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 1 wherein
said mounting means comprises a plate with one or more orifices for
securing said mounting cylinder to an object.
6. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 5 wherein
one or more "C"-shaped spring clips secure said second end of said
bearing assembly to said first housing end.
7. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 6 wherein
said bearing engagement cylinder may be counter-rotated to extend
the length of said adjustment roller assembly.
8. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 7 wherein
said housing cylinder may be counter-rotated for course adjustment
to the length of said adjustment roller assembly.
9. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 8 wherein
said bearing engagement cylinder has one or more pairs of wrench
flats.
10. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 9 wherein
said housing cylinder has one or more pairs of wrench flats.
11. An adjustable roller leg assembly comprising: (a) a bearing
assembly, said bearing assembly comprising a roller and a race,
said race having an axial load bearing surface, an axial non-load
bearing surface, and a side-bearing surface; said race further
comprising an elongated stem, said elongated stem protruding from
said non-bearing side of said race; (b) a bearing engagement
cylinder; said bearing engagement cylinder having a first end, a
second end, an outer surface, and a first inner surface; said outer
surface having external threads beginning at said first end and
running at least a portion of the way to said second end; said
first inner surface capable of slideably receiving said
side-bearing surface of said bearing assembly; said bearing
engagement cylinder further comprising a second inner surface and a
shoulder at said second end, said shoulder being capable of
supporting said axial bearing surface of said bearing assembly; (c)
a mounting cylinder; said mounting cylinder comprising a means for
securing said roller leg to an article and a cylinder portion; said
cylinder portion having a first cylinder end, a second cylinder
end, an outside cylinder surface and an inside cylinder surface;
said first cylinder end being connected to said means for securing
said roller leg, said inside cylinder surface being internally
threaded beginning at said second cylinder end and running at least
a portion of the way to said first cylinder end, said internally
threaded inside cylinder surface capable of threadably receiving
said external threads of said outer surface of said bearing
engagement cylinder; said means for securing having a central
orifice being located concentric to said cylinder portion, said
central orifice capable of mountably receiving said elongated stem
of said bearing assembly; (d) adjustment of said adjustable roller
leg assembly by rotation of said bearing engagement cylinder from a
first extended position wherein said roller is in a unexposed
position within said bearing engagement cylinder, to a second
position wherein said shoulder of said bearing engagement cylinder
bears upon said axial load bearing surface of said bearing assembly
and said roller protrudes beyond said second end of said bearing
engagement cylinder.
12. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 11
wherein said roller is a spherical ball bearing, said spherical
ball bearing being rotatably mounted in said race using a plurality
of ball bearings between said race and said spherical bearing, and
wherein at least a portion of said spherical bearing is exposed
beyond said load-bearing side of said race.
13. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 11
wherein said roller is a caster, said caster being mounted to said
load-bearing side of said race.
14. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 13
wherein said caster further comprises a wheel.
15. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 11
wherein said mounting means comprises a plate with one or more
orifices for securing said mounting cylinder to an object.
16. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 15
wherein said bearing engagement cylinder may be counter-rotated to
extend the length of said adjustment roller assembly.
17. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 16
wherein said elongated stem of said bearing assembly is retained in
said orifice of said mounting plate cylinder using one or more
"C"-shaped spring clips.
18. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 16
wherein said elongated stem of said bearing assembly is externally
threaded, and wherein said externally threaded elongated stem is
threadably retained in said orifice of said mounting plate
cylinder.
19. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 17
wherein said bearing engagement cylinder has one or more pairs of
wrench flats on said outer surface.
20. An adjustable roller leg assembly comprising: (a) a bearing
assembly, said bearing assembly comprising a means for rolling on a
surface, and a race, said race having an axial load bearing
surface, an axial non-load bearing surface, and a side-bearing
surface; said means for rolling being rotatably mounted in said
race with at least a portion being exposed beyond said load-bearing
side of said race, said race further comprising an elongated stem,
said elongated stem protruding from said non-bearing side of said
race; (b) a bearing engagement cylinder; said bearing engagement
cylinder having a first end, a second end, an outer surface, and a
first inner surface; said outer surface having external threads
beginning at said first end and running at least a portion of the
way to said second end; said first inner surface capable of
slideably receiving said side-bearing surface of said bearing
assembly; said bearing engagement cylinder further comprising a
second inner surface and a shoulder at said second end, said
shoulder being capable of supporting said axial bearing surface of
said bearing assembly; (c) a housing cylinder; said housing
cylinder having a first housing end, a second housing end, a first
outer cylinder wall, a second outer cylinder wall, an inner
cylinder wall, and a flat end wall; said first outer cylinder wall
being beginning at said first housing end and having external
thread over a portion of said outer cylinder wall beginning at said
first housing end; said second outer cylinder wall beginning at
said second housing end and transitioning into said first outer
cylinder; said flat end wall being located at said first housing
end, said flat end wall having an orifice being located concentric
to said inner cylinder wall, said orifice capable of mountably
receiving said elongated stem of said bearing assembly; said inner
cylinder wall being internally threaded beginning at said second
housing end and running at least a portion of the way to said first
housing end, said internally threaded inner cylinder wall capable
of threadably receiving said external threads of said outer surface
of said bearing engagement cylinder to retain said bearing assembly
therein; (d) a mounting cylinder; said mounting cylinder comprising
a first end for securing said roller leg assembly to an article and
a cylinder portion; said cylinder portion having a first cylinder
end, a second cylinder end, an outside cylinder surface, a first
inside cylinder surface, and a second inside cylinder surface; said
first cylinder end being connected to said first end; said second
inside cylinder surface beginning at said second cylinder end; said
first inside cylinder surface beginning at said first cylinder end
and being internally threaded, said internally threaded inside
cylinder surface capable of threadably receiving said external
threading of said outer cylinder wall of said housing first end and
said second inside cylinder surface capable of receiving a portion
of said second outer cylinder wall of said housing second end; (e)
adjustment of said adjustable roller leg assembly by rotation of
said bearing engagement cylinder from a first extended position
wherein said means for rolling is in an unexposed position being
within said bearing engagement cylinder, to a second position
wherein said shoulder of said bearing engagement cylinder bears
upon said axial load bearing surface of said bearing assembly and
said means for rolling protrudes beyond said second end of said
bearing engagement cylinder.
21. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 20
wherein said first end of said mounting cylinder comprises a plate
with one or more orifices for securing said mounting cylinder to an
object.
22. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 21
wherein said elongated stem of said bearing assembly is retained in
said orifice of said mounting plate cylinder using one or more
"C"-shaped spring clips.
23. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 22
wherein said bearing engagement cylinder may be counter-rotated to
extend the length of said adjustment roller assembly.
24. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 23
wherein said housing cylinder may be counter-rotated for course
adjustment to the length of said adjustment roller assembly.
25. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 24
wherein said bearing engagement cylinder has one or more pairs of
wrench flats.
26. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 25
wherein said housing cylinder has one or more pairs of wrench
flats.
27. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 26
wherein said first end of said mounting plate cylinder further
comprises an orifice being located concentric to said cylinder
portion.
28. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 27
wherein said elongated stem of said bearing assembly is externally
threaded, and wherein said externally threaded elongated stem is
threadably retained in said orifice of said mounting plate
cylinder.
29. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 28
wherein said first end of said mounting plate cylinder is a
rectangular-shaped plate.
30. An adjustable roller leg assembly comprising: (a) a means for
rolling; (b) a hollow cylinder, said hollow cylinder having a first
open end, a second open end, an exterior cylinder wall, and an
interior cylinder wall; said hollow cylinder having a first opening
connecting said exterior cylinder wall to said interior cylinder
wall; (c) a plunger assembly, said plunger assembly comprising said
means for rolling, a plunger tube, a spring, a mechanical catch,
and a plunger assembly bracket; said tube having a first tube end,
a second tube end, a tube interior wall, and a tube exterior wall,
said tube having a first pair of slotted openings connecting said
tube exterior wall to said tube interior wall; said mechanical
catch being partially disposed within said tube interior wall and
therein being pivotally mounting to said plunger assembly bracket
and with said mechanical catch having a portion protruding through
one of said first pair of slotted openings and extending beyond
said tube exterior wall; said pivotal mounting of said mechanical
catch also providing for slideable mounting of said tube along a
second pair of slotted openings in said tube; said spring being
retained within said tube first end to bias said mechanical catch
relative to said plunger tube; said means for rolling being mounted
to said second tube end; said plunger assembly being disposed
within said hallow cylinder where said plunger assembly is attached
to said interior cylinder wall of said hollow tube with said
protruding portion of said mechanical catch thereby also protruding
out of said second opening of said hollow cylinder; and (d) wherein
said plunger tube is adapted to be moved from a first position to a
second position causing said mechanical catch to engage one of said
pair of slotted openings in said plunger tube and inhibit backward
movement from said second position to said first position; said
means for rolling in said second position protruding beyond said
second open end of said hollow cylinder, and said means for rolling
not protruding therefrom while said plunger tube is in said first
position; backward movement of said plunger tube occurring when
said protruding portion of said mechanical catch is depressed and
said mechanical catch disengages from one of said pair of slotted
openings in said plunger tube.
31. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 30
wherein said spring is a double conical coil spring.
32. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 31
wherein an end cap is attached to said first tube end to thereby
retain said spring within said plunger tube.
33. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 32
wherein a mounting cap is attached to said second tube end, and
wherein said means for rolling is then attached to said mounting
cap at said second plunger tube end.
34. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 33
wherein said means for rolling is a caster.
35. The adjustable roller assembly according to claim 34 wherein
said caster is a single wheel caster.
36. The adjustable roller assembly according to claim 34 wherein
said caster is a multiple wheeled caster.
37. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 33
wherein said means for rolling comprises a race and a spherical
ball bearing, said spherical ball bearing being rotatably retained
in said race.
38. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 37
wherein said spherical ball bearing is rotatably retained in said
race by using a plurality of ball bearings between said race and
said spherical bearing.
39. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 38
wherein said plunger is moved from said first position to said
second position by applying pressure to said end cap of said first
tube end.
40. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 39
wherein said plunger tube assembly further comprises a flat plate,
and wherein said plunger assembly bracket is riveted to said flat
plate, said bracket assembly being mounted within said hollow tube
using said flat plate of said plunger tube assembly.
41. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 40
wherein said end cap of said plunger tube assembly has a flange
extending therefrom, and wherein said hollow cylinder has a second
opening connecting said exterior cylinder wall to said interior
cylinder wall, said flange of said end cap extending through said
second opening of said hollow cylinder.
42. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 41
wherein said flange is moved from said first position to said
second position by applying pressure to said flange until said
mechanical catch engages one of said pair of slotted openings in
said plunger tube.
43. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 42
wherein said adjustable roller leg assembly further comprises an
adjustable mounting plate cover, said adjustable mounting plate
cover comprising a plate portion, a fixed cylinder, and an
adjustment cylinder; said plate portion comprising a generally flat
plate with a plurality of orifices; said fixed cylinder comprising
a fixed end and a free end, said fixed end being attached to said
mounting plate; said fixed cylinder further comprising external
threading beginning at said free end and running at least part of
the way to said fixed end; said adjustment cylinder having a
polished end, a rough end, an internal cylinder wall, a first
external cylinder wall, and a second external cylinder wall; said
internal cylinder wall comprising internal threading on at least a
portion of said internal wall, said polished end of said adjustment
cylinder being threadably attached to said fixed cylinder, said
second external cylinder wall at said rough end being inserted into
said first open end of said hollow cylinder and thereby being
attached to said hollow cylinder; said adjustable roller assembly
being adjustable by rotation of said hollow cylinder relative to
said fixed cylinder.
44. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 43
wherein said adjustment cylinder is formed in two halves, a first
half having male protrusions, and a second half having female
indentations, and wherein said first half and said second half are
mated together over said fixed cylinder to have said internal
threading of said adjustment cylinder engaging said external
threading of said fixed cylinder.
45. An adjustable roller leg assembly comprising: (a) a bearing
assembly, said bearing assembly comprising a means for rolling on a
surface, and a race, said race having an axial load bearing
surface, an axial non-load bearing surface, and a side-bearing
surface; said means for rolling being rotatably mounted in said
race with at least a portion being exposed beyond said load-bearing
side of said race, said race further comprising an elongated stem,
said elongated stem protruding from said non-bearing side of said
race; (b) a bearing cylinder; said bearing cylinder having a first
end, a second end, an outer surface, and a first inner surface;
said outer surface having external threads beginning at said first
end and running only a portion of the way to said second end; said
first inner surface capable of slideably receiving said
side-bearing surface of said bearing assembly; said bearing
cylinder further comprising a second inner surface and a shoulder
at said second end, said shoulder being capable of supporting said
axial bearing surface of said bearing assembly; (c) a cylinder
insert; said cylinder insert having a closed end, an open end, an
internal cylinder wall, a first external cylinder wall, and a
second external cylinder wall; said internal cylinder wall
comprising internal threading beginning at said closed end and
running a portion of the way to said open end, said cylinder insert
being threadably attached to said bearing cylinder; said elongated
stem of said bearing assembly being attached to said closed end of
said cylinder insert; (d) said closed end of said cylinder insert
of said adjustable roller leg assembly being inserted into the leg
of an article; said adjustable roller assembly being adjustable
from a first position to a second position by rotation of said
bearing cylinder relative to said cylinder insert; said first
position having said bearing cylinder being retracted within said
cylinder insert to permit said bearing assembly to protrude beyond
said hearing cylinder, and said second position having said bearing
cylinder in an extended position in which said means for rolling
does not protrude beyond said bearing cylinder.
44. The adjustable roller leg assembly according to claim 43
wherein said cylinder insert is formed in two halves, a first half
having male protrusions, and a second half having female
indentations, and wherein said first half and said second half are
mated together over said fixed cylinder to have said internal
threading of said cylinder insert engaging said external threading
of said fixed cylinder.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/303,741 filed on Dec. 16, 2005, the
disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to improvements in hardware,
and more particularly to hardware that permits table legs,
appliance legs, and other legs of an article to be quickly
converted from being suited for stationary support, to being
capable of easy movement of the article. The hardware of the
present invention also permits a leg or a base to which the device
is attached to be height adjusted to suit a variety of
conditions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] There are many appliances and articles of furniture that
have legs. Other articles have wheels or casters attached to a
bottom surface. These include tables, chairs, breakfronts, etc.
Appliances having legs can be stoves, sinks, ovens, etc. Other
articles include medical equipment, such as walkers for the elderly
that are made of hollow tubing, machinery, barbecues, etc. These
legs or bases provide support for the device. Many of these
articles, however, are used in applications and in situations where
they have to be moved from time to time. Also, in many instances
the floor is neither level nor smooth. For example, in a kitchen or
other location an article such as a stove, refrigerator, table,
etc. may need to be relocated or moved for cleaning. Many types of
tables, refrigerators, stoves, medical equipment, tools, etc. are
bulky and heavy. It is not uncommon for these devices to have to be
moved. Stoves and refrigerators and other mechanical devices may
need to undergo repairs and access to the rear of the device may be
necessary. In other instances, many devices may need to be moved to
a new location or moved away from their original location for
cleaning behind them or underneath them or moved for other reasons.
Also, a stove or table in an older home may wobble because the home
has not settled uniformly over the years. In commercial
establishments, a similar situation can occur. For example, the
floor may be rough or worn in areas that cause the floor to not be
level. Besides the aesthetics and comfort of a table or other
article that wobbles, there can also be a safety issue. An unstable
table can spill hot food products over workers and diners. Even
outside of the kitchen, there are many applications such as in
offices, laboratories and elsewhere where there is a need for a
stable work surface.
[0004] Besides worn surfaces, there are also many flooring
materials that are popular today that are also not smooth. One
example is ceramic floor tile. Many homeowners and restaurants
desire the rustic look provided by some floor tiles such as a
tumbled marble or ceramic. This flooring material can have surfaces
that are not smooth and level. In addition, there are frequently
wide gaps between these tiles that can cause tables and appliances
to not be level when resting thereon.
[0005] The traditional solution for solving the problem of wobbly
legs has been to place a thin flat material or wedge under the
offending leg to prevent movement. Alternatively, there have been
adjustable legs that have an orifice in the center bottom tip of
the leg. The orifice is threaded and receives a threaded member
with a base or pad attached thereto. As the base is turned, the
threaded member extends or retracts to level the leg. While these
approaches eliminate the wobbling of a table or other article,
these approaches are not satisfactory when the table leg has a
roller on the bottom surface. A shim or wedge under the roller is
usually not satisfactory because the roller would have a tendency
of rolling off the shim.
[0006] There are a number of different approaches to solving the
problem of unsteady tables and other devices. For example, in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,644,216 to Cole, there is an adjustable leg that is
pivotally attached to a table top. The leg has an adjuster that can
vary the angle of the leg to steady a table. In U.S. Pat. No.
6,598,841 to Erickson, there is a height adjustable table leg that
is attachable to the underside of a table. There is a pair of tube
members and one tube member telescopes into the other tube member.
An adjustable leg assembly is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
6,595,144 to Doyle. Doyle has a mounting system in which an outer
support or base leg receives a pair of spaced multiple section
slides, each having one end coupled within the base leg and the
opposite end coupled to a motor activator secured to the underside
of a work surface. The slides provide lateral strength and
stability for the telescopic motion between raised, lowered and
intermediate adjustable positions and provide a trim cover for
concealing the drive mechanism employed for adjusting the work
surface.
[0007] An adjustable leg is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
6,032,914 to Bastida. In Bastida, there is an adjustable leg for
benches, stilts and the like. The leg has a first elongate strut
that has a first strut end wall defining an outer surface. The
first strut wall has a first aperture therein. A second elongate
strut having a second strut end wall is telescopically received in
the first strut. The first strut end wall and the second strut wall
have a plurality of apertures therein. A lever is journalled for
rotational movement which causes the leg to adjust in height using
the apertures. There is a need for an adjustable leg that can glide
over a floor because of the presence of a roller or other suitable
rotating member.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is an object of the invention to provide an improved
adjustable leg.
[0009] It is an object of the invention to provide an adjustable
leg that has a roller base.
[0010] It is an object of the invention to provide an adjustable
roller arrangement for a leg or base.
[0011] It is an object of the invention to provide an adjustable
roller arrangement that can readily be activated to a movable
condition and deactivated to a stationary condition.
[0012] It is also an object of the invention to provide a roller
that can be extended to permit an article to be readily moved and
retracted to prevent easy movement.
[0013] It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved
mechanism for adjusting the height of a table, chair or other
article.
[0014] It is another object of the invention to provide a device
that can adjust the height of a leg to expose or conceal a roller
ball or caster/wheel used on a chair, table or other leg or other
means for support.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The present invention is directed to an improved adjustable
leg that has a bearing assembly that may be in an extended position
when an article is to be moved or be in a concealed position when
the article is to be stationary. The bearing assembly may comprise
of a spherical bearing and race, or a caster/wheel. A first
embodiment of the invention has a mounting plate cylinder, a
housing cylinder with a bearing engagement cylinder and a bearing
assembly. The bearing assembly may include, but is not limited to,
a spherical ball bearing and race, or a wheel that rotates, such as
a caster. When the bearing engagement cylinder is in a retracted
position, the spherical ball bearing or wheel is exposed and can
rotate. When the bearing engagement cylinder is in an extended
position, the spherical ball bearing does not contact a floor or
other surface, and thus the article will not be capable of movement
on the bearing. In one embodiment, the spherical ball bearing will
be positioned in a recess in the bearing engagement cylinder. The
bearing engagement cylinder provides an externally threaded surface
that mates with the internally threaded surface of the housing
cylinder and permits the bearing engagement cylinder to be moved
from a retracted to an extended position, and vice versa. A second
end of the housing cylinder may be externally threaded and provide
additional, course adjustment by mating with the internal threading
of the base mounting cylinder. The base mounting cylinder
incorporates a plate that permits the article of the present
invention to be secured to a table or other leg or surface.
[0016] A second embodiment has a bearing attached to a plunger tube
which is spring biased into a retracted position within a hollow
cylinder. Upon actuation by the user, the bearing and plunger tube
travel so that the bearing protrudes from the bottom of the hollow
cylinder, whereby that extended position is maintained by a
mechanical catch that is pivotally mounted within the plunger tube,
and has a lip that engages a slotted opening in the tube.
Retraction of the bearing and plunger tube occurs by having the
user depress a button that is connected to the mechanical catch,
which forces the lip of the mechanical catch to disengage from the
slotted opening, and allow the plunger tube to then be biased back
to the retracted position, with the bearing once again stowed
completely within the hollow cylinder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a representative leg of a
first embodiment of the present invention, shown supporting an
article.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first side of a
representative leg of a first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second side of a
representative leg of a first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0020] FIG. 4 is an end-wise perspective view of a representative
leg of a first embodiment of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a partially exploded view of the first embodiment
of FIG. 1, showing the housing cylinder unscrewed from the mounting
plate cylinder.
[0022] FIG. 6 is a partially exploded view of the first embodiment
of FIG. 1, showing the housing cylinder unscrewed from the mounting
plate cylinder, and the bearing engagement cylinder unscrewed from
the housing cylinder.
[0023] FIG. 7 is a partially exploded view of the first embodiment
of FIG. 1, showing the housing cylinder unscrewed from the mounting
plate cylinder, the bearing engagement cylinder unscrewed from the
housing cylinder, one of the "C"-shaped spring clips removed from
the elongated stem of the bearing assembly, and the bearing
assembly removed from the housing cylinder.
[0024] FIG. 8 is an end view of the flat end wall of the housing
cylinder, with the elongated stem of the bearing assembly
protruding beyond it, and secured to it using a "C"-shaped spring
clip.
[0025] FIG. 9 is an end view of the flat end wall of the housing
cylinder, with the elongated stem of the bearing assembly removed
to expose the orifice in the flat end wall.
[0026] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the mounting plate
cylinder.
[0027] FIG. 11 is a reverse perspective view of the mounting plate
cylinder.
[0028] FIG. 12 is an end-wise perspective view of the bearing
assembly with one "C"-shaped spring clip attached to the elongated
stem.
[0029] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the side of the bearing
assembly, with one "C"-shaped spring clip attached to the elongated
stem, and the, other removed to show the spring retaining
groove.
[0030] FIG. 14 is a side view of the race and spherical bearing of
the bearing assembly.
[0031] FIG. 15 is a variation of the first embodiment wherein the
housing cylinder is eliminated.
[0032] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a representative leg of a
second embodiment of the present invention, shown with the roller
in the extended position, rolling along the ground.
[0033] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a representative leg of the
second embodiment of the present invention, shown with the roller
in the retracted position, and with the hollow cylinder is resting
on the ground.
[0034] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a representative leg of the
second embodiment of the present invention, shown with the roller
in the extended position, looking directly at the mechanical catch
button.
[0035] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a representative leg of the
second embodiment of the present invention, shown with the roller
in the extended position, looking at the back side at the
mechanical catch button.
[0036] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a representative leg of the
second embodiment of the present invention, shown with the roller
in the extended position, looking at the opposite side of the
hollow cylinder.
[0037] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a representative leg of the
second embodiment of the present invention, shown with the roller
in the retracted position, looking directly at the mechanical catch
button.
[0038] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a representative leg of the
second embodiment of the present invention, shown with the roller
in the retracted position, looking at the back side at the
mechanical catch button.
[0039] FIG. 23 is a top perspective view of a representative leg of
the second embodiment of the present invention, showing the first
end of the hollow cylinder with the plunger tube in the second
position.
[0040] FIG. 24 is a reverse perspective view of the top of a
representative leg of the second embodiment of the present
invention, showing the first end of the hollow cylinder with the
plunger tube in the first position.
[0041] FIG. 25 is a bottom view of the top of a representative leg
of a second embodiment of the present invention, where the roller
is a caster with a single wheel.
[0042] FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the caster with a single
wheel.
[0043] FIG. 27 is a perspective view of the plunger assembly of the
second embodiment of the present invention, looking directly at the
protruding portion of the mechanical catch.
[0044] FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the plunger assembly of the
second embodiment of the present invention, looking at the side of
the protruding portion of the mechanical catch.
[0045] FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the plunger assembly of the
second embodiment of the present invention, looking at the side
opposite of the protruding portion of the mechanical catch.
[0046] FIG. 30 is a bottom view of the plunger assembly of the
second embodiment of the present invention, looking at the side
opposite of the protruding portion of the mechanical catch.
[0047] FIG. 31 is an exploded view of the parts comprising the
plunger assembly of the second embodiment of the present
invention.
[0048] FIG. 32 is a perspective view of the plunger assembly and
roller of the second embodiment of the present invention, looking
directly at the protruding portion of the mechanical catch, and
where the roller is a race and spherical bearing.
[0049] FIG. 33 is a perspective view of the plunger assembly and
roller of the second embodiment of the present invention, looking
at the side of the protruding portion of the mechanical catch, and
where the roller is a race and spherical bearing.
[0050] FIG. 34 is a perspective view of the plunger assembly and
roller of the second embodiment of the present invention, looking
at the side opposite of the protruding portion of the mechanical
catch, and where the roller is a race and spherical bearing.
[0051] FIG. 35 is a perspective view of the plunger assembly and
roller of the second embodiment of the present invention, looking
at the side opposite of the protruding portion of the mechanical
catch, and where the roller is a race and spherical bearing.
[0052] FIG. 36 is a side view of a third embodiment of the present
invention having an extra-long hollow cylinder with a plunger tube
lever to extend the roller, and having an adjustable mounting plate
cover.
[0053] FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the
present invention, looking at the second end of the hollow
cylinder, and where the roller is a race and spherical bearing in
the extended position.
[0054] FIG. 38 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the
present invention, looking at the second end of the hollow
cylinder, and where the roller is a race and spherical bearing in
the retracted position.
[0055] FIG. 39 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the
present invention, looking at the side of the second end of the
hollow cylinder, before installation of the rubber glide cap.
[0056] FIG. 40 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the
present invention, looking endwise at the second end of the hollow
cylinder, as the rubber glide cap is being installed.
[0057] FIG. 41 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the
present invention, looking at the side of the second end of the
hollow cylinder, as the rubber glide cap is being installed.
[0058] FIG. 42 is a perspective view of the rubber glide cap.
[0059] FIG. 43 is a reverse perspective view of the rubber glide
cap.
[0060] FIG. 44 is a perspective view of the adjustable mounting
plate cover of the third embodiment of the present invention,
before being inserted into the second end of the hollow
cylinder.
[0061] FIG. 45 is a reverse perspective view of the adjustable
mounting plate cover of the third embodiment of the present
invention, before being inserted into the second end of the hollow
cylinder.
[0062] FIG. 46 is a perspective view of the fixed cylinder of the
mounting plate cover of the third embodiment of the present
invention.
[0063] FIG. 46A is a perspective view of the fixed cylinder of the
mounting plate cover of the fourth embodiment of the present
invention.
[0064] FIG. 47 is a perspective view of the two halves of the
adjustment cylinder of the mounting plate cover of the third
embodiment of the present invention, shown before being mated
together.
[0065] FIG. 48 is a perspective view of the first half of the
adjustment cylinder of the mounting plate cover of the third
embodiment of the present invention, having male protrusions.
[0066] FIG. 49 is a perspective view of the second half of the
adjustment cylinder of the mounting plate cover of the third
embodiment of the present invention, having female
indentations.
[0067] FIG. 50 is a perspective view of the first half and second
half of the adjustment cylinder of the mounting plate cover of the
third embodiment of the present invention, being assembled over the
fixed cylinder.
[0068] FIG. 50A is a perspective view of the first half and second
half of the cylinder insert of the fourth embodiment of the present
invention, being assembled over the bearing engagement
cylinder.
[0069] FIG. 50B is an exploded view showing the first half and
second half of the cylinder insert, the bearing engagement
cylinder, and the bearing assembly of the fourth embodiment of the
present invention.
[0070] FIG. 50C is an exploded view showing the first half and
second half of the cylinder insert already assembly, the bearing
engagement cylinder, and the bearing assembly of the fourth
embodiment of the present invention.
[0071] FIG. 50D is a perspective view of the fourth embodiment of
the present invention shown fully assembled.
[0072] FIG. 50E is an end view of the fourth embodiment of the
present invention shown fully assembled.
[0073] FIG. 51 is a perspective view of the first half and second
half of the adjustment cylinder of the mounting plate cover of the
third embodiment of the present invention, assembled with the fixed
cylinder that is attached to the mounting plate.
[0074] FIG. 52 is a front view of the third embodiment of the
present invention,
[0075] FIG. 53 is a section view of the third embodiment of the
present invention.
[0076] FIG. 53A is a side view of the caster of the third
embodiment of the present invention.
[0077] FIG. 54 is a section view of the third embodiment of the
present invention.
[0078] FIG. 55 is a side view of the plunger assembly of the third
embodiment of the present invention.
[0079] FIG. 56 is a section view of the plunger assembly of the
third embodiment of the present invention, looking at the side of
the mechanical catch.
[0080] FIG. 57 is a section view of the plunger assembly of the
third embodiment of the present invention, looking at the front of
the mechanical catch.
[0081] FIG. 58 is a section cut of the plunger assembly of a third
embodiment of the present invention.
[0082] FIG. 59 is a section view of the plunger assembly of a third
embodiment of the present invention, with the roller retracted.
[0083] FIG. 60 is a section view of the plunger assembly of a third
embodiment of the present invention, with the roller extended.
[0084] FIG. 61 is a section cut of the third embodiment of the
present invention, with the roller protruding beyond the hollow
cylinder.
[0085] FIG. 62 is a section view of the third embodiment of the
present invention, with the roller retracted within the hollow
cylinder.
[0086] FIG. 63 is an exploded view of the parts of the plunger
assembly of the third embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0087] FIG. 1 shows a representative adjustable roller leg assembly
1 of a first embodiment of the present invention. As seen in FIG.
4, the adjustable roller leg assembly 1 may be comprised, in a
first embodiment, of a mounting plate cylinder 10, a housing
cylinder 30, a bearing assembly 50, and a bearing engagement
cylinder 60. Progressive disassembly of the adjustable leg 1 is
shown in FIG. 5 with removal of the mounting plate cylinder 10,
followed by removal of the bearing engagement cylinder 60 in FIG.
6, and finally, as seen in the exploded view of FIG. 7, by
detachment of the bearing assembly 50 from the housing cylinder
30.
[0088] The mounting plate cylinder 10 may be comprised of a plate
portion 13 and a cylinder portion 19. The plate portion may serve
as a means for securing the adjustable roller leg assembly to an
article. The plate portion 13, shown in detail in FIGS. 7, 10 and
11, may preferably have an upper mounting surface 16, a lower plate
surface 17, and an outer edge surface 18. The plate portion 13 may
be any shape suitable for attachment to the article, including, but
not limited to, having forms a square shape, a circular shape, or a
rectangular shape. The outer edge surface 18 of plate portion 13 of
the first preferred embodiment has a square shape. The thickness of
the plate shown- the outer edge surface 18 shown in FIG. 7--may be
varied according to the strength requirements of the particular
article being supported.
[0089] The cylinder portion 19 may have an outside cylinder surface
20 which may actually take any shape desired, but is usually
configured so that it matches the style or shape of the article
that has the adjustable leg. The length of the cylinder portion 19,
shown by outside cylinder surface 20, may be longer or shorter to
suit the style of a particular article. Where the style is not a
significant factor, the outside cylinder surface 20 of cylinder
portion 19 will, in fact, have a true cylindrical shape and be
concentric with inside cylinder surface 21.
[0090] Cylinder portion 19 may have a first cylinder end 23 and a
second cylinder end 24, where first cylinder end 23 will preferably
be connected to lower plate surface 17 of plate portion 13. The
connection may be achieved in a number of different ways. First
cylinder end 23 may be integrally formed with plate surface 17 by
machining a single piece, by casting a single piece, by creating a
single forged part, or by any other appropriate means of
manufacture. Alternatively, first cylinder portion 19 and plate
portion 13 may be manufactured as separate parts, and thereafter be
joined through any appropriate manufacturing process including, but
not limited to, the means shown in FIG. 4 where first end 23 of
cylinder portion 19 is connected to lower plate surface 17 of plate
portion 13 by a weld 25. The weld may take the form of a
butt-joint, lap-joint, corner joint, edge joint, or T-joint weld.
To one trained in the art, it should be apparent that instead of
the weld as shown, plate portion 13 could have an opening to
receive outside cylinder surface 20 of cylindrical portion 19,
whereby the two were then joined by a V-joint weld 25A on upper
mounting surface 16 (see FIG. 11). Additionally, it should be noted
that lower plate surface 17 need not be planar, as shown in the
figures, and could alternatively by a curved surface so as to
maintain an appropriate thickness at the outer edge surface 18 with
spot-facing as needed at the mounting orifices 14 for fastener
heads, but with increasing thickness and support for the outside
cylinder surface 21 of cylinder portion 19. It should also be
apparent to one trained in the art that cylinder portion 19 may be
threadably attached to plate portion 13.
[0091] Inside cylinder surface 21 will preferably be smooth and
begin at second cylinder end 24, and run a portion of the way to
first cylinder end 23. Inside cylinder surface 21 transitions to
second inside cylinder surface 22 which continues the remainder of
the distance to first cylinder end 23, and preferably has internal
threads formed thereon. Inside cylinder surface 21 and the threads
formed on second inside cylinder surface 22, as will discussed
hereinafter are designed to receive and provide adjustment relative
to housing cylinder 30. The inside cylinder surface 21 and second
inside cylinder surface 22 are necessarily concentric, with second
inside cylinder surface 22 having a lesser diameter than inside
cylinder surface 21.
[0092] Plate portion 13 may, in the first preferred embodiment,
have a plurality of orifices 14 extending from upper mounting
surface 16 to lower plate surface, in the region of the plate
external to the cylinder portion 19. The periphery orifices 14 may
be used in combination with mechanical fasteners, such screws,
bolts and nuts, and the like, for mounting the adjustable roller
leg assembly 1 to the article. However, other mounting arrangements
for adjustable roller leg assembly 1 are also possible, such as,
but not limited to, welding of the mounting plate portion 13 to the
article, or brackets that slideably receive the mounting plate
portion 13. Plate portion 13 may also have a central orifice 15,
which has its axis located concentric to that of inside cylinder
surface 21, where the central orifice 15 may serve to provide
clearance for the bearing assembly 50 as hereinafter described.
[0093] Mounting plate cylinder 10, as well as housing cylinder 30
and bearing engagement cylinder 60, may be manufactured from any
suitable material, including, but not limited to steel, titanium,
aluminum, brass, composite, wood, or plastic. The material
selection may be made based upon requirements that are dictated by
the particular article that adjustable roller leg assembly 1 must
support, and they may be produced using any appropriate
manufacturing process, including, but not limited to machining,
casting, forging, turning on a lathe, injection molding, etc.
[0094] Housing cylinder 30 may be described as having a first
housing end 31 and a second housing end 36. Housing cylinder 30 may
preferably be formed having a first outer cylinder wall 32 and a
second outer cylinder wall 37. Second outer cylinder wall 37, which
may be smooth, may begin at second housing end 36 and run a portion
of the way to first housing end 31. Second outer cylinder wall 37
preferably transitions, at transition 38, into first outer cylinder
wall 32. First outer cylinder wall 32 runs the remainder of the
distance to first housing end 31, and preferably has external
threads formed thereon which permit threadable attachment to the
internal threads of inside cylinder surface 21 of mounting plate
cylinder 10. Also, first outer cylinder wall 32 preferably has a
lesser diameter than that of second outer cylinder wall 37. The
diameter of second outer cylinder wall 37, between transition 38
and 39, may preferably be sized to provide a tight clearance fit
with inside cylinder surface 21 of the cylinder portion 19 of
mounting plate cylinder 10. The diameter of second outer cylinder
wall 37, between second housing end 36 and transition 39 is not
critical,' and in an alternate embodiment may actually be formed to
a shape other than a true cylinder, and may be styled to match the
shape of the outside cylinder surface 20 of the cylinder portion 19
of mounting plate cylinder 10, which may reflect the style of the
article.
[0095] Housing cylinder 30 may have an inner cylinder wall 41,
which may run from second housing end 36 to first housing end 31.
Inner cylinder wall 41 preferably has internal threads 42 beginning
at second housing end 36 but preferably only running a portion of
the distance to first housing end 31. The extent of threading
running toward first housing end 31 could be used to limit travel
of bearing adjustment cylinder 60 within housing cylinder 30.
Housing cylinder 30 may also have, as shown in FIG. 9, a wall that
may partition inner cylinder wall 41, but is preferably a flat end
wall 33 that is located at first housing end 31. Flat end wall 33
may have an orifice 34 having an axis that is located concentric to
that of inner cylinder wall 41. Finally, Housing cylinder 30 may
have one or more pairs of wrench flats 43 on the second outer
cylinder wall 37 which may permit a user, as described later, to
change the height of adjustable roller leg assembly 1, through use
of a wrench or other tool to rotate the housing cylinder 30
relative to the mounting plate cylinder 10.
[0096] Bearing assembly 50 may be constructed in a number of
different ways, including, but not limited to, incorporating a
caster, or a series of ball bearings rotatably mounted within an
inner and an outer race, or a single spherical ball bearing
rotatably mounted in a race. In a preferred embodiment, bearing
assembly 50 may be comprised of spherical bearing 51 that is
rotatably mounted in race 52, as seen in FIG. 7 and FIGS. 12
through 14. Rotatable mounting of spherical bearing 51 may be
achieved with a plurality of small ball bearings, which may also
serve to disperse the bearing loads. The race 53 may have an axial
load bearing surface 53, axial non-load bearing surface 54, and
side bearing surface 55. Bearing assembly 50 may have an upper end
56 which serves as a transition between the race 53 and an
elongated stem which extends therefrom. Elongated stem 57 may be
comprised of any cross-section, including, but not limited to, a
square cross-section, a rectangular cross-section, an oval
cross-section, an irregularly-shaped cross-section, or simply a
circular cross-section. In a preferred embodiment, elongated stem
57 may have a circular cross-section and thus form a cylinder.
[0097] Bearing assembly 50 may be attached to housing cylinder 30
using elongated stem 57 through a number of different attachment
schemes. In a preferred embodiment, elongated stem 57 of bearing
assembly 50 has a first retaining groove 58 (not visible) and
second retaining grooves 59 (see FIG. 13). A spring clip 26 is
affixed to bearing stem 57 by snapping it over the cylindrical
shape of elongated stem 57 at first retaining groove 58. The
bearing assembly is then installed in the housing cylinder 30 by
feeding it into the inner cylinder wall 41 such that the elongated
stem 57 is received through orifice 34 in flat end wall 33 of the
housing cylinder 30.
[0098] The first and second retaining grooves, 58 and 59, may be
located on elongated stem 57 such that when the bearing assembly 50
is so installed, the spring clip at recess 58 will inhibit motion
of the bearing assembly within the housing cylinder upon contacting
the flat end wall 33, resulting in a portion of the elongated stem
57, including retaining groove 59, protruding beyond flat end wall
33 (See FIG. 5). A second spring clip 26 may then be snapped into
retaining groove 59 (see FIG. 8) to inhibit inward and outward
motion of bearing assembly 50 relative to housing cylinder 30, and
leave a portion of the bearing assembly 30 protruding from the end
of housing cylinder 30, as seen in FIG. 6. Central orifice 15 of
plate portion 13 of the mounting plate cylinder 10 may be so
located to provide clearance for any overhang of the elongated stem
57 beyond end wail 33, when the housing cylinder is threaded all
the way into mounting plate cylinder 10.
[0099] The amount of bearing assembly 50 protruding beyond housing
30, as well as the amount of elongated stem 57 protruding beyond
end wall 33 are not critical, and may be adjusted as needed
depending on the further design of the bearing engagement cylinder
as hereinafter discussed. In fact, in an alternate embodiment, use
of the retaining grooves 58 and 59 and spring clips 26 may be
eliminated by having the elongated stem 57 formed with external
threading, and by having orifice 34 in flat end wall 33 similarly
formed with internal threads 35 that are capable of threadably
receiving externally threaded elongated stem 57. Alternatively, the
spring clips 26 may be replaced by use of retaining pins,
including, but not limited to, a cotter pin; or may be replaced by
a weld or be fastened by any other means to prevent movement.
[0100] Bearing engagement cylinder 60 may be described as having a
first end 61 and a second end 62 (See FIG. 7). Bearing engagement
cylinder 60 preferably has a cylindrical outer surface 63 between
first end 61 and second end 62. Outer surface 63, beginning at
first end 61, may have external threads 64 that run a portion of
the way to second end 62. Outer surface 63, at second end 62, may
also have one or more pairs of wrench flats 68. Bearing engagement
cylinder 60 may also have a first inner surface 65 that may be
sized to create a tight clearance fit with side bearing surface 55
of race 52 of bearing assembly 50. First inner surface 65 may run
from first end 61 until reaching shoulder bearing area 67 which may
be created in close proximity to second end 62, by second inner
surface 66. Shoulder bearing area 67 may be so shaped and located
to contact axial load bearing surface 53 of race 52 of bearing
assembly 50.
[0101] With assembly of the first embodiment of the present
invention--adjustable roller leg assembly 1--seen from viewing
FIGS. 7, 6, and 5, and from the complete assembly in FIG. 4, its
operation can be described as follows. With the adjustable roller
leg assembly 1 mounted to an article (see FIG. 1), the bearing
engagement cylinder 60 may be threadably inserted (rotated) into
housing cylinder 30 until the point at which the shoulder bearing
area 67 of bearing engagement cylinder 60 bears against the axial
load bearing surface 53 of race 52 of bearing assembly 50, thereby
causing the spring clip 26 located in first spring retaining groove
58 to simultaneously bear against flat end wall 33 of housing
cylinder 30. The resulting arrangement, visible in FIG. 1, leaves
the race 52 and elongated stem 57 of bearing assembly 50 fixed
relative to housing cylinder 30 and the bearing engagement cylinder
60, but with a portion of the spherical ball bearing 51 rotatably
exposed from and protruding beyond second end 62 of bearing
engagement cylinder 60. With similar adjustment made to each of the
adjustable roller leg assemblies 1 that may be attached to an
article--presumably being four such assemblies for most
articles--the article may then be moved as desired to another
location, by the rolling motion of the spherical ball bearings 51
contacting the floor or other surface upon which the article
rests.
[0102] Conversely, the reverse adjustment may be made by
counter-rotating the bearing engagement cylinder 60 relative to the
housing cylinder 30, and thus causing it to withdraw from the
interior of the housing cylinder 30. Counter-rotating the bearing
engagement cylinder 60 results in extending the length of the
adjustable roller leg assembly 1, raising the height of the
article, and allowing the spherical bearing 51 of the bearing
assembly 50 to be in an unexposed position within the bearing
engagement cylinder 60, which causes the article to be
stationary.
[0103] Rotation and counter-rotation of the bearing engagement
cylinder 60 relative to housing cylinder 30 may be achieved by hand
turning of the bearing engagement cylinder 60. With a heavy
apparatus it may be necessary to apply a wrench to the wrench flats
68 of the bearing engagement cylinder 60 to accomplish rotation or
counter-rotation. It may also be necessary to prevent inadvertent
rotation of the housing cylinder (relative motion between the
housing cylinder 30 and mounting plate cylinder 10, instead of only
relative motion between the housing cylinder 30 and bearing
engagement cylinder 60) by also applying a wrench to the wrench
flats 43 of housing cylinder 30 to keep it stationary while causing
rotation of the bearing engagement cylinder 60. Course adjustment
to the height of the adjustable roller leg apparatus, without
affecting the bearing assembly, may be achieved by rotation or
counter-rotation of the housing cylinder 30 relative to the
mounting plate cylinder 10.
[0104] To one skilled in the art, it may be apparent that the
invention could be still employed while having one fewer part, by
eliminating the housing cylinder, and thus eliminating the course
height adjustment just described. This alternate embodiment is
illustrated in FIG. 15.
[0105] A second embodiment of the present invention is the
adjustable roller leg assembly 100, shown having a caster assembly
193 in the extended position in FIG. 16, and with the caster in the
retracted position in FIG. 17. This second embodiment may also use
a spherical bearing 191 as shown in FIGS. 32 and 33. The second
embodiment may preferably be comprised of a plunger assembly 110,
which is shown in FIG. 27, and also shown in an exploded view in
FIG. 31. Plunger assembly 110 may be comprised of a plunger tube
140 having an inner wall, an outer wall, a first tube end 142, a
second tube end 143, and a plurality of openings forming pairs of
in-line openings on opposite sides of the tube. The openings are
preferably a pair of slotted openings 141 to allow the neck 125 and
protruding portion 124 of mechanical catch 120 to extend therefrom;
and also second slotted opening pair 144 to permit slideable
movement of pin 135 therein without limiting travel of the plunger
tube 140, as will be discussed later.
[0106] The leg 122 of the mechanical catch 120 extends from the
neck 125 and is sized to be retained within plunger tube 140. Leg
122 has a lip 123 which, when properly positioned, as described
hereinafter, will engage the slotted opening 141 to prevent
backward movement of the plunger tube 140, locking the plunger tube
in position. The mechanical catch 120 may be biased by a double
conical coil spring 130 that is retained between the mechanical
catch 120 and the first plunger tube end 142 by tube mounting cap
160. The double conical feature of the spring 130 yields a non
linear spring constant, which provides for actuation of the plunger
tube 140 with a varying force at different positions of the tube's
stroke.
[0107] An end cap 150 covers the second tube end 143 of the plunger
tube 140. End cap 150 may have an integral flange 151 extending
radially outward as described hereinafter for use in a third
embodiment--adjustable roller leg assembly 200--but flange 151 is
not necessary for the adjustable roller leg assembly 100. The
plunger assembly 110 may also comprise a plunger assembly bracket
111, which may have a first opening 112, a pair of orifices to
accommodate a mounting pin 135, and a plurality of mounting
orifices 114. The plunger assembly bracket 111 may generally be
.OMEGA.-shaped whereby a large curved loop 115 transitions into two
small inside bends 116, which connect to mounting flanges 117. The
large curved loop 115 may be capable of slideably receiving the
plunger tube 140, and also of having mechanical catch 120 pivotally
mounted within the tube by passing pin 135 through the orifice 113
of plunger assembly bracket 111, through second slotted opening
pair 144, and through the orifice 121 in the mechanical catch 120
and out the second orifice 113 in plunger assembly bracket 111 (see
FIGS. 30 and 32). The pin 135 may then be crimped on both ends to
secure the assembly as described, which facilitates pivotal
movement of the mechanical catch 120. The neck 125 of mechanical
catch 120, once protruding beyond slotted opening 141 of plunger
tube 140, may be received by first opening 112 of plunger assembly
bracket 111. Once the plunger tube 140 is assembled together with
the mechanical catch 120, the double conical spring 130, the end
cap 150, mounting cap 160, pin 135, and the plunger assembly
bracket 111, plunger assembly 100 may then be installed into hollow
cylinder 170, by attaching the plunger assembly bracket 111 within
the hollow cylinder 170. For ease of installation, plunger assembly
110 may include a flat mounting plate 180, to which the plunger
assembly bracket 111 may be either mechanically fastened or
electrically welded. Thereafter, the flat plate 180 of the plunger
assembly 110 may be attached to the interior cylinder wall 174 of
hollow cylinder 170 by any suitable manufacturing means, including,
but not limited to, electrical welding.
[0108] The hollow cylinder 170 may have exterior cylinder wall 173,
and be described as having a first end 171 and a second end 172,
and a slotted opening 175. Attachment of plunger assembly 110 to
interior cylinder wall 174 should be such that the protruding
portion 124 of mechanical catch 120 protrudes out of slotted
opening 175 of hollow cylinder 170. A button 185 (FIG. 18) with a
suitable shape may be attached to protruding portion 124 of
mechanical catch 120. The button 185 may be mechanically fastened
directly to protruding portion 124 of mechanical catch 120, or may
be attached through an intermediate part 186, which may be formed
from metal, phenolic resin, or any other appropriate material which
may be formed to serve as an intermediary between button 185 and
protruding portion 124 of mechanical catch 120.
[0109] Attached to the tube mounting cap 160 may be the caster
assembly 193 (FIG. 26), or alternatively; race 190 and spherical
bearing 191 (FIGS. 32 through 34). Where either roller type is
utilized, a rubber glide cap 192, shown in FIG. 37 with spherical
bearing 191, may be fitted into second end 172 of hollow cylinder
170, as seen in FIGS. 30 through 43. Caster assembly 193 may be
comprised of a caster mounting plate 194, which attaches to the
tube mounting cap 160, a plurality of ball bearings 195, a caster
wheel 196, a caster bracket 197, a caster rolling pin 198, and a
caster fastener 199.
[0110] Operation of the adjustable roller leg assembly 100 may
occur, as seen in FIG. 17, by applying pressure to tube end cap 150
of the plunger assembly 110, moving the plunger assembly, from a
first position, until the slotted opening 141 of plunger tube 140
reaches the lip 123 of mechanical catch 120, and is thereby engaged
by the lip to retain the plunger assembly 110 and caster assembly
193 (or spherical bearing 191) in the second, extended position
shown in FIG. 16. Retraction of the plunger assembly 110 and caster
assembly 193 occurs by depressing button 185, which causes the
mechanical catch 120 to pivot within plunger tube 140 and disengage
from the plunger tube. Biasing by double conical spring 130 causes
the plunger assembly 110 to return to the first (retracted)
position of FIG. 17, where the caster assembly 193 (or spherical
bearing 191) is entirely within hollow cylinder, with the second
end 172 of hollow cylinder 170 resting of the floor or other
surface.
[0111] A slight variation of the second embodiment--adjustable
roller leg assembly 100--may create a third embodiment shown in
FIG. 36, wherein adjustable roller leg assembly 200 is created the
same as adjustable roller leg assembly 100, except that a second
button may be created by flange 151 of end cap 150, which protrudes
out of a second opening 176 of hollow cylinder 170. As with
mechanical catch 120 of adjustable roller leg assembly 100, a
button similar to button 188 may be attached to flange 151 for ease
of use (not shown in FIG. 36 for the mechanical catch 120 or flange
151), and may include intermediate part 186.
[0112] Extension of the roller may then occur by applying downward
pressure to the flange 151, or a button 188 attached thereto, which
would move the plunger assembly 110 from the first position to the
second position. Retraction of the plunger assembly 110 from the
second position to the first position would still occur by
depressing the mechanical catch 120 or a button 185 attached
thereto, to cause mechanical catch 120 to pivot within plunger tube
140 and disengage from the plunger tube, with the double conical
spring 130 biasing the plunger assembly 110 back to the first,
retracted position.
[0113] Adjustable roller leg assembly 100 and adjustable roller leg
assembly 200 (FIG. 36) may have a height adjustment capability that
is provided by an adjustable mounting plate cover 210, shown
installed in a representative roller leg assembly in FIG. 36, and
shown by itself in FIG. 44. The adjustable mounting plate cover 210
may be comprised of a plate portion 211 with a plurality of
orifices 212, a fixed cylinder 214, and an adjustment cylinder 220.
The combination of fixed cylinder 214 and adjustment cylinder 220
are adapted from the Adjustable Foot Insert of U.S. Pat. No.
5,169,259 to Cornell, which may be described as follows. Fixed
cylinder 214 may have a free end 216 (FIG. 46), and a fixed end 215
that is attached to plate portion 211, where plate portion 211
would be utilized to affix the adjustable roller leg assembly to an
article.
[0114] Fixed cylinder 214 may have external threading which begins
at free end 216, and which runs part of the way to fixed end 215.
The adjustment cylinder 220 may have a polished end 226, a rough
end 227, an internal cylinder wall 228, a first external cylinder
wall 229, and a second external cylinder wall 230. First external
cylinder wall 229 may be lip-shaped at the polished end 226, and
may abruptly transition to second external cylinder wall 230 to
produce lip shoulder 233. Second external cylinder wall 230 may
have a plurality of ribs 231 protruding outward. Internal cylinder
wall 228 may have internal threading 225 on at least a part of the
wall, but preferably does not run all the way to either the
polished end 226 or the rough end 227 of adjustment cylinder 220,
the significance of which is described hereinafter. Internal
cylinder wall 228 preferably runs all the way from rough end 227 to
polished end 226, but may be interrupted at polished end 226 by a
temporary wall 232, which may be necessary for manufacture of the
part if formed as a casting. Wall 232, if simply a fallout of the
manufacturing process, may be removed thereafter by a machining or
a boring operation. In a fourth embodiment, wall 232 may be
utilized, and is discussed hereinafter.
[0115] As seen in FIGS. 47 and 48, a casting process would lend to
formation of adjustment cylinder 220 in two halves, a first half
221 having male protrusions 222, and a second half 223 having
female indentations 224. The first half 221 and second half 223
could be mated together (FIG. 50) by alignment of the male
protrusions 222 of the first half 221 with the female indentations
224 of second half 223, and then by pushing the halves together
such that the internal threading 225 of the adjustment cylinder 220
engages the external threading 217 of the fixed cylinder 214. After
assembly of the two halves in this manner, the temporary walls 232
could be removed by a manufacturing operation as discussed
previously. This construction arrangement permits height adjustment
by rotation of the adjustment cylinder 220 relative to the fixed
cylinder 214, without concern of those parts disengaging from each
other, as the relative travel will be inhibited at the extremes of
travel in either direction, once the external threading 217 of the
fixed cylinder 214 reaches the end of the internal threading 225 of
the adjustment cylinder 220, which as already mentioned, preferably
does not run all the way to either rough end 227 or polished end
226.
[0116] Adjustable mounting plate cover 210, as seen in FIG. 44, may
then be mounted into the hollow cylinder 170 of either adjustable
roller leg assembly 100 or adjustable roller leg assembly 200.
Installation is accomplished by inserting the rough end 227 of
adjustment cylinder 220 of the adjustable mounting plate cover 210,
into the first end 171 of hollow cylinder 170, whereby the ribs 231
protruding from second external cylinder wall 230 contact interior
cylinder wall 174 of the hollow cylinder 170, and are therein be
retained by a press fit or interference fit, or by use of a
mechanical feature or fasteners or locking clip. The adjustment
cylinder 220 should be inserted until the lip shoulder 233 contacts
the hollow cylinder first end 171. Once the adjustable roller leg
assembly is attached to an article by fasteners through the
orifices 212 of plate portion 211, of adjustable mounting plate
cover 210, height adjustment may be achieved by causing rotation of
the hollow cylinder relative to the article.
[0117] The exterior cylinder wall 173 of the hollow cylinder 170
may have a smooth metallic finish as shown in FIG. 36, as may the
polished end 226 of adjustment cylinder 220, the fixed cylinder
214, and the plate portion 211.
[0118] A still further embodiment may be created by again using an
adaptation of the Adjustable Foot Insert of U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,259
to Cornell. In a this fourth embodiment, shown in FIG. 50A,
adjustable roller leg assembly 300 may be comprised of bearing
cylinder 314, which is exactly like fixed cylinder 214 except for
orifice 318 at fixed end 315, with first half 321 and second half
323 mated together as with adjustable roller leg assembly 200, but
where temporary walls 332 are not removed, and are used to support
stem mounting bracket 301. It may be seen by a comparison to the
first embodiment that bearing cylinder 314 closely resembles
bearing engagement cylinder 60. Stem mounting bracket 301 is
capable of mounting bearing assembly 50 to wall 332 of cylinder
first half 321 and cylinder second half 323 of cylinder insert 320.
Adjustment of roller leg assembly 300 may be accomplished the same
as previously described for adjustable roller leg assembly 200.
[0119] The examples and descriptions provided merely illustrate
several preferred embodiment of the present invention. Those
skilled in the art and having the benefit of the present disclosure
will appreciate that further embodiments may be implemented with
various changes within the scope of the present invention,
particularly by combining various elements of the disclosed
embodiments.
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