Adjustable Roller Arrangement

Abstract

An appliance supporting and roller arrangement in which a roller assembly is connected to the base frame of an appliance by a vertically-disposed threaded bolt having a head underlying a generally horizontal bearing means at the bottom of the base frame. The bolt extends through a threaded socket in the bight portion of the roller assembly and is held at its top by means connected to the frame. The roller assembly includes means to prevent its rotation with respect to the frame so that as the bolt is rotated for leveling purposes the roller assembly moves vertically with respect to the frame.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

This invention pertains to the art of rollers for supporting and leveling appliances such as refrigerators. 2. Description of the Prior Art

Of the prior art patents on adjustable rollers of which applicants are aware, none are considered directly pertinent to the arrangement claimed herein. However some patents of interest dealing with adjustable rollers are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,793,467; 2,803,510; 3,437,346.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, the arrangement includes a base frame from which a U-shaped roller assembly is supported in a generally cantilever fashion, with the bight of the U-shaped member including a threaded socket receiving a vertically-disposed bolt. The head of the bolt underlies a lower bearing means provided by the frame to permit front access for adjustment of the roller assembly up or down by rotating the bolt, and means is provided to prevent horizontal rotation of the roller assembly when the bolt is turned.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partly broken isometric view of a refrigerator with the roller arrangement applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a partly broken, vertical sectional view corresponding to one taken along line II--II of FIG. 1 illustrating the roller arrangement;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary rear view of the roller arrangement illustrated in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The refrigerator 2 of FIG. 1 is supported by a base frame 4 which extends along the front and two sides of the refrigerator. A roller assembly 6 is carried by the frame at each of the front corners.

Referring to FIG. 2, the base frame 4 shown in section includes a web 8, a top flange 10 and a bottom flange 12. The roller assembly 6 generally designated has a roller wheel 16 mounted on an axle 18 fixed between the opposite legs 14 of the generally U-shaped member 19, which also includes an integrally threaded bore 20 in the bight 21 of the U-shaped member. A bolt 22 passes up through a clearance hole in the bottom flange 12 and is threaded through the bore 20, with the upper end of the bolt extending through a clearance hole in a bracket 24. The bracket has a deep channel cross-sectional shape and the clearance hole for positioning the top of the bolt is provided in its lower flange 26. The upper flange 28 of the bracket is attached as by spot welding, to the upper flange 10 of the frame so that the spots will be hidden.

As shown in FIG. 2 the threads are removed from the bolt 22 for a length near its top so that the bolt has a generally smooth cylindrical surface in this area except for a circumferential groove. A retainer clip 30 of the spring type and having an unsprung opening smaller than the diameter of the groove in the bolt, is forced onto the groove and is retained there by spring force.

The side view of the roller assembly 6 of FIG. 2 shows the roller 16 offset from the socket 20; that is, the center of the roller is horizontally removed from the vertical axis of the socket. This geometry results in a cantilever type loading of the roller assembly. The arrangement of the roller assembly in this way permits easy access to the head of the bolt from outside of the frame (that is, the front of the refrigerator).

FIG. 2 also illustrates one of two anti-rotation arms 32 which in the preferred embodiment are part of the U-shaped member 19. The end of each arm is bent to form a pad 34 which is close to and can slidably bear against the web 8 of the frame 4. The anti-rotation arms 32 are formed by punching two horizontal strips from the bight portion 21 of the U-shaped member 19. Each strip is then bent out of the plane of the bight portion and into the same plane as the roller assembly leg 14 to which it is attached. As shown in FIG. 3, in the preferred application of the invention the arms are located generally near the vertical center of the bight portion 21 of the U-shaped member 19.

The threaded socket 20 shown in FIG. 2 is formed by drawing successive lengths or portions along the height of the bight portion in alternating directions out of the plane of the bight portion in a semi-circular shape so that these lengths wrap around the bolt. Length 40 located at the top of the bight portion, and length 42 located immediately below the hole 41 in FIG. 3 remaining after formation of the anti-rotation arms 32, are drawn to the left as viewed in FIG. 2. Lengths 44 and 46 positioned vertically below lengths 40 and 42, respectively, are drawn to the right as shown in FIG. 2. One side of the cylinderical threaded bore is formed by lengths 40 and 42 and the opposite side is formed by lengths 44 and 46. The bore is formed by manipulating the bight portion of the U-shaped member in the manner described above in order to promote resistance to the moment imposed on the roller assembly by the weight of the appliance by urging these alternately displaced portions in the direction of engagement with the bolt.

The frame 4 in FIG. 3 is shown as having holes punched in the web 8 in a grid-like pattern forming an air grill 48. The air grill is optional and would be used only on those refrigerators requiring circulation of air at their base.

Vertical adjustment of the roller assembly 14 is accomplished by rotating the head of the bolt 22 with a wrench or similar tool in either direction. Since the roller assembly is prevented from rotating by the anti-rotation arms 32, as the bolt turns both the bolt and the frame 4 move up or down with respect to the roller assembly resting on the floor.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. For example, the frame does not have to be a channel. It could be a vertical member having brackets attached to serve as the bolt bearing and retaining means. The bore in the bight portion of the U-shaped member need not be integral but could be formed in a tube welded to the bight portion or the bore could be drilled and tapped onto a bight portion that is thick enough to permit this type of operation.

Claims

We claim:

1. An adjustable roller arrangement for supporting and leveling an appliance or the like, comprising:

a base frame having a roller assembly carried thereby, said frame including an upper retaining means and a lower bearing means for holding the upper and lower ends of a vertically disposed threaded bolt for rotation, but preventing axial movement of said bolt, the head of said bolt underlying said lower bearing means;

said roller assembly carried from said base frame by said bolt, said roller assembly including a roller wheel carried by opposite legs of a generally U-shaped member, the bight portion of said U-shaped member including a threaded bore receiving said threaded bolt, and being disposed in a generally vertical plane;

means preventing rotation of said roller assembly about a vertical axis so that as said bolt head is turned one way or the other, said roller assembly is moved up or down on said bolt.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

said base frame is a channel and said lower bearing means is the lower flange of said channel.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

said base frame includes aperture means to permit air flow therethrough.

4. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

said upper retaining means includes bracket means having a flange with an aperture therein to receive the upper end of said bolt, and a metallic spring clip on said bolt.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

said threaded bore is formed out of portions along the height of said bight displaced out of the plane of said bight alternately in one direction and the other and, being interiorly threaded.

6. The arrangement of claim 2 wherein:

said means preventing rotation of said roller assembly includes a pair of arms displaced out of said bight portion and projecting to locations closely adjacent the rear face of the web of said channel.

7. The arrangement of claim 5 wherein:

the top displaced portion forming a part of the bore is displaced rearwardly with successively lower portions alternating so that the moment imposed on said roller assembly by the weight of said appliance is in a direction to urge said displaced portions into a direction of engagement with said bolt.

8. An adjustable roller arrangement for supporting and leveling an appliance or the like, comprising:

a base frame having a roller assembly carried thereby, said frame including an upper retaining means and a lower bearing means for holding the upper and lower ends of a vertically disposed threaded bolt for rotation, but preventing axial movement of said bolt, the head of said bolt underlying said lower bearing means;

a roller assembly carried from said base frame by said bolt, said roller assembly including a roller wheel carried by opposite legs of a generally U-shaped member, the bight portion of said U-shaped member including a threaded bore receiving said threaded bolt, said bore having its axis extending generally parallel to the plane of said bight portion, said bight portion being disposed in a generally vertical plane;

means preventing rotation of said roller assembly about a vertical axis so that as said bolt head is turned one way or the other, said roller assembly is moved up or down on said bolt.