U.S. patent application number 14/195236 was filed with the patent office on 2015-09-03 for industrial caster guard.
The applicant listed for this patent is KEITH J. STONE. Invention is credited to KEITH J. STONE.
Application Number | 20150246579 14/195236 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53785879 |
Filed Date | 2015-09-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150246579 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
STONE; KEITH J. |
September 3, 2015 |
INDUSTRIAL CASTER GUARD
Abstract
The caster guard comprises a band which may surround a variety
of conventionally known caster subassemblies, wherein exemplary
caster subassemblies include those used on material handling carts.
The band protects an individual's foot from injury. In an exemplary
embodiment, the caster guard further comprises a top mounting plate
attached to a side support that is attached to the band. In
application, the top mounting plate is sandwiched between and
secured to the caster mounting plate and a frame of the caster
subassembly. In another embodiment, the caster guard comprises two
opposing adjustable sleeves each disposed within two opposing clamp
pads which are secured to the band. The sleeves may be engaged with
a head bolt and a jam nut of the wheel axel unit of the caster
subassembly.
Inventors: |
STONE; KEITH J.; (East
Longmeadow, MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
STONE; KEITH J. |
East Longmeadow |
MA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
53785879 |
Appl. No.: |
14/195236 |
Filed: |
March 3, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
16/18CG |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 16/216 20150115;
B60B 33/0023 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B60B 33/00 20060101
B60B033/00 |
Claims
1-2. (canceled)
3. A caster guard, comprising; a band having an inside diameter
sized to accommodate a wheel diameter of a wheel of a caster,
wherein the band surrounds the wheel of the caster without
obstruction; and two vertical legs attached to the band, wherein
the vertical legs are spaced 90 degrees from one another to allow
access to the caster.
4. The caster guard according to claim 3, wherein the caster guard
further comprises a top plate attached to a top side of each of the
two vertical legs and central to the inside diameter of the band
with mounting holes that mate with a mounting plate bolt hole
pattern located on a base of the caster.
5-7. (canceled)
8. A caster guard that surrounds an outside periphery of a wheel of
a caster assembly, wherein the caster guard comprises: a band
having an exterior wall oppositely situated to an interior wall,
wherein the interior wall has a diameter sized to accommodate a
wheel diameter of the wheel of the caster assembly; and two
opposing split clamp collars attached to the interior wall of the
band, wherein each of the split clamp collars comprises a pilot
hole formed therethrough.
9. The caster guard according to claim 10, wherein the caster guard
further comprises a socket head cap screw that secures the first
sleeve to the split clamp collar in which the first sleeve is
located, and another socket head cap screw which secures the second
sleeve to the split clamp collar in which the second sleeve is
located.
10. The caster guard according to claim 8, wherein the caster guard
further comprises a first sleeve and a second sleeve wherein the
first sleeve slide fits into the pilot hole of one of the split
clamp collars, and the second sleeve slide fits into the pilot hole
of the oppositely situated split clamp collar, wherein the first
and second sleeves locate on a shoulder bolt and a lock nut of the
caster assembly.
11. The caster guard according to claim 3, wherein the caster guard
further comprises a brush skirt attached to the band.
12. The caster guard of claim 3, wherein the band has a circular
configuration.
13. The caster guard of claim 3, wherein the band has a rectangular
configuration.
14. The caster guard of claim 8, wherein the band has a rectangular
configuration.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention is directed towards casters, and more
particularly, to a caster guard for both rigid and swivel style
casters.
[0003] 2. Background of the Invention
[0004] The invention is a protective device to prevent foot injury
to the operator and or bystander of various types of material
handling equipment that contain rigid and or swivel style casters.
The caster guard disclosed herein was designed due to injuries
noted at various customer facilities resulting from casters
installed on moving material handling carts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Disclosed herein is a caster guard that provides protection
to an operator's and/or a bystander's feet from injury caused by
casters of, e.g., free moving material handling carts. The caster
guard also protects an individual from injury due to walking into a
caster with limited visibility and or which is hidden from view by,
e.g., overhanging platforms. A large variety of industrial casters
provide optional equipment, such as, e.g., foot brakes and swivel
locks, that can also cause injury to the foot area.
[0006] The caster guard includes a band that is configured to
protect the individual from these protrusions. The caster guard may
be attached without any modifications to conventionally known
casters, and do not require any additional hardware. Additionally,
the caster guard may be formed in a variety of sizes to accommodate
various wheel diameters and mounting plate options.
[0007] The main protective area of the invention comprises a band,
which preferably has a rectangular or a rounded configuration, and
which may include a variety of widths and openings, to suit the
large variety of commercial industrial casters. In an exemplary
embodiment, the caster guard may be captured between a
conventionally known caster mounting plate and a frame to which the
caster mounting plate is typically attached. In another exemplary
embodiment, the caster guard has a pair of inner sleeves, one of
each of which slides inside one of two opposing clamp pads attached
to the inside of the band, and one of each of which mate with a hex
head bolt and a hex jam nut on the wheel axel unit of a typically
known caster subassembly, and are locked in position with clamp pad
screws. These resulting caster guard assemblies do not require any
modifications to the existing commercial caster subassemblies.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic depicting an exemplary assembly
comprising an exemplary caster guard attached to a conventional
industrial type caster subassembly;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a schematic depicting the caster guard of FIG.
1;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a schematic depicting another exemplary assembly
comprising another embodiment of a caster guard attached to the
caster subassembly shown in FIG. 1; and
[0011] FIG. 4 is a schematic depicting the caster guard of FIG.
3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The caster guard disclosed herein is specially designed to
be used with conventionally known rigid-type and swivel-type caster
subassemblies. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, an exemplary caster
subassembly 100 comprises a wheel 102 having a shaft 104 centrally
formed therethrough. A bearing 106 is disposed through shaft 104 on
a proximal side 108 thereof, and another bearing (not shown) is
disposed through shaft 104 on a distal side 112 thereof. A hex jam
nut (not shown) is positioned within bearing 106, and a hex head
bolt (not shown) is inserted through the other bearing (not shown)
such that the hex head bolt engages with the hex jam nut to thereby
secure a yoke 114 to wheel 102. Caster subassembly 100 further
comprises a caster mounting plate 116 which is engaged with yoke
114. Caster mounting plate 116 has a top side 118 oppositely
situated to a bottom side 120, and further has a plurality of holes
122 formed through top and bottom sides 118 and 120. Plurality of
holes 122 provides a means whereby caster subassembly 100 may be
attached to a frame (not shown).
[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the caster guard comprises a
band which is designed to surround the wheel of the caster
subassembly, and which comprises a suitable thickness and width to
accommodate the optional equipment of commercial industrial swivel
type casters and, in the case of a swivel caster, which will allow
for the full 360 degree rotation of the wheel. The caster guard
further comprises a mounting member that is engaged with the caster
mounting plate to thereby secure the caster guard to the caster
subassembly. In an exemplary embodiment, the mounting member
comprises a side support that extends from the band, and a top
plate that fits atop the side support and that offers a means
whereby the caster guard may be fixed to the caster mounting plate.
In application, the top plate is disposed between the caster
mounting plate and the frame of the caster subassembly, and the
wheel of the caster is surrounded by the band, and touches the
floor without obstruction.
[0014] In another exemplary embodiment, the caster guard comprises
a band having an opening which receives and surrounds the wheel of
the caster subassembly, and which allows the wheel to touch the
floor without obstruction. The caster guard further comprises two
opposing clamp pads having mating bores attached to an inside wall
of the band, and two opposing adjustable sleeves that respectively
slip inside the clamp pads. The two adjustable sleeves each have an
access hole formed therein, and each may be rotated and moved
inward to align and fit with a hex head bolt and a hex jam nut of
the caster subassembly. When the sleeves are in position the band
may be rotated to a position parallel to the floor and locked into
position with a clamp pad screw.
[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, each of the clamp pads comprises
a split clamp collar. Additionally, a socket head cap screw may be
used to secure the sleeve to the split clamp collar. Furthermore,
the sleeves are preferably configured to slide fit into pilot holes
formed in the split clamp collars.
[0016] The caster guard may be formed from a variety of materials,
including, e.g., one or more of aluminum, alloy steel, stainless
steel, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride
(PVC), and the like. Additionally, the caster guard may be painted,
powder coated, or anodized to a color of choice and attached to the
various sizes and styles of conventionally known casters.
[0017] The caster guard may further include a skirt formed around a
bottom side of the band for purposes of clearing debris. The skirt
preferably comprises a brush type skirt formed from a material
including at least one of polypropylene, palmyra, bassine, and the
like.
[0018] The caster guard will further be described with reference to
the drawings. While the present invention is susceptible of
embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and
will hereinafter be described presently preferred embodiments with
the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered
an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit
the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.
[0019] An exemplary caster guard is depicted in FIG. 2. Referring
to FIG. 2, caster guard 1 comprises a band 10. Although band 10 may
include a variety of shapes and configurations including, e.g., a
cylindrical configuration, a rectangular tubular configuration, and
the like, in an exemplary embodiment, band 10 comprises a
cylindrical configuration as shown in FIG. 2. As further shown in
FIG. 2, band 10 comprises an open-ended top side 22 oppositely
situated to an open-ended bottom side 24, and an outer wall 26
oppositely situated to an inner wall 28, wherein inner wall 28
defines an inside diameter X and surrounds an opening 29. Caster
guard 1 further comprises a pair of legs 20 that is secured to band
10 and that linearly extends towards and away from top side 22.
Legs 20 are spaced about 90 degrees apart from one another to
facilitate access to the caster subassembly.
[0020] Caster guard 1 further comprises a top mounting plate 30
attached to pair of legs 20, and positioned centrally to inside
diameter X of band 10. Top mounting plate 30 has a plurality of
holes 32 formed through respective top and bottom sides 34 and 36
thereof. Caster guard 1 may further comprise a skirt 38 which
extends from and surrounds bottom side 24 of band 10.
[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, caster guard 1 may be fixed to caster
subassembly 100 to form an assembly 150. Here bottom side 36 of top
mounting plate 30 is positioned adjacent to top side 118 of caster
mounting plate 116 such that plurality of holes 32 is aligned with
plurality of holes 122 of caster mounting plate 116. Hardware
conventionally used to secure caster mounting plate 116 to a frame
(not shown) of caster subassembly 100 may be used to secure top
mounting plate 30 to caster mounting plate 116 and the frame,
thereby securely sandwiching top mounting plate 30 between caster
mounting plate 116 and the frame (not shown), and, thereby securing
caster guard 1 to caster subassembly 100.
[0022] FIGS. 3 and 4 depict another exemplary embodiment of the
caster guard that is the subject of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 4, a caster guard 200 comprises a band 202 having
a generally tubular and rectangular configuration. Accordingly,
band 202 comprises an open-ended top side 204 oppositely situated
to an open-ended bottom side 206, a forward side 208 oppositely
situated to a rearward side 210, a proximal side 212 oppositely
situated to a distal side 214, and an opening 216 surrounded by top
and bottom sides 204 and 206 and forward and rearward sides 208 and
210. Each of proximal and distal sides 212 and 214 has a respective
bore 213 and 215 centrally formed therethrough.
[0023] Caster guard 200 further comprise a clamp pad 218 disposed
on an interior side 220 of proximal side 212 and a clamp pad 222
disposed on an interior side 224 of distal side 214. Each of clamp
pads 218 and 222, each of which may comprise a split clamp collar,
has a respective pilot hole 225 and 226 formed therethrough,
wherein pilot hole 225 is aligned with bore 213 of proximal side
212, and pilot hole 226 is aligned with bore 215 of distal side
214.
[0024] Caster guard 200 further comprises a sleeve 230 and a sleeve
232, wherein each of sleeves 230 and 232 has a substantially
tubular configuration. Each of sleeves 230 and 232 further
comprises a centrally formed opening 234 and 236 having a hexagonal
configuration. Sleeve 230 is slidably engaged within hole 225 of
clamp pad 218, and sleeve 232 is slidably engaged within hole 226
of clamp pad 222. Caster guard 200 further comprises a skirt 242
that extends from and surrounds bottom side 206 of band 200.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 3, caster guard 200 is engaged with caster
subassembly 100 to form an assembly 300. Here, sleeve 230 is
engaged with the hex jam nut, and sleeve 232 is engaged with the
hex head bolt of caster subassembly 100 such that wheel 102 is
disposed within opening 236. Adjustable sleeves 230 and 232 may be
rotated and moved inwardly to align and fit with the hex head bolt
and the hex jam nut of the wheel axel unit. The two opposing clamp
pads 218 and 222 secure respective sleeves 230 and 232 with a
locking socket head screw respectively identified as 238 and
240.
[0026] From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous
modifications and variations can be effectuated without departing
from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present
invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect
to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or should be
inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover by the appended
claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the
claims.
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