Adjustable castor assembly

• US 20070169307A1
• Filed: 01/26/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Yu, Jun, Hollett, Bruce, Nunes, Vicente
• Application Number:
  US11/339,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20070169307A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 16/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 33/04 adjustable , e.g. in height; linearly shifting castors

Abstract

The disclosure provides an adjustable castor wheel assembly for attachment to an object and a system for supporting an object comprising a plurality of wheel assemblies. The adjustable castor wheel assembly comprises a mount constructed to be attached to the object, and a stud extending from the mount in an axial direction. The assembly also comprises an adjusting member rotatably engaged with the stud so that a rotation of the adjusting member in a first direction causes a distance between the mount and the adjusting member in the axial direction to increase while a rotation of the adjusting member in a second direction causes the distance between the mount and the adjusting member in the axial direction to decrease. The assembly also comprises a castor wheel rotatably attached to the adjusting member.

Claims

1. An adjustable wheel assembly for attachment to an object comprising:

a mount constructed to be attached to the object;

a stud extending from the mount in an axial direction;

an adjusting member rotatably engaged with the stud so that a rotation of the adjusting member in a first direction causes a distance between the mount and the adjusting member in the axial direction to increase while a rotation of the adjusting member in a second direction causes the distance between the mount and the adjusting member in the axial direction to decrease; and

a rolling member rotatably mounted to the adjusting member, the rolling member being rotatable to rollingly support the object.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the rolling member is part of a castor wheel assembly pivotally attached to the adjusting member for adjusting an orientation of the rolling member.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the rolling member is a wheel.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein:

the stud has external threads; and

the adjusting member includes a hollow bore with internal threads to rotatably engage the external threads of the stud.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting member includes a center portion that rotatably engages the stud, and a manually engageable portion extending radially outwardly therefrom.

6. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein the manually engageable portion of the adjusting member is generally circular.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the manually engageable portion of the adjusting member is generally hemispherical.

8. The assembly according to claim 7, wherein the manually engageable portion of the adjusting member includes raised protrusions to allow for gripping.

9. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the raised protrusions are disposed about a periphery of the manually engageable portion of the adjusting member.

10. A system for supporting an object comprising:

a plurality of wheel assemblies disposed between the object and a supporting surface;

wherein at least one of the wheel assemblies is an adjustable wheel assembly comprising;

a mount constructed to be attached to the object;

a stud extending from the mount in an axial direction;

an adjusting member rotatably engaged with the stud so that a rotation of the adjusting member in a first direction causes the distance between the mount and the adjusting member in the axial direction to increase while a rotation of the adjusting member in a second direction causes the distance between the mount and the adjusting member in the axial direction to decrease; and

a rolling member rotatably mounted to the adjusting member, the rolling member being rotatable to rollingly support the object.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the rolling member is part of a castor wheel assembly pivotally attached to the adjusting member for adjusting an orientation of the rolling member.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the rolling member is a wheel.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein:

the stud has external threads; and

the adjusting member includes a hollow bore with internal threads to rotatably engage the external threads of the stud.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the adjusting member includes a center portion that rotatably engages the stud, and a manually engageable portion extending radially outwardly therefrom.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the manually engageable portion of the adjusting member is generally circular.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the manually engageable portion of the adjusting member is generally hemispherical.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the manually engageable portion of the adjusting member includes raised protrusions to allow for gripping.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the raised protrusions are disposed about a periphery of the manually engageable portion of the adjusting member.

19. The system according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of wheel assemblies is an adjustable castor wheel assembly comprising:

a mount constructed to be attached to the object;

a stud extending from the mount in an axial direction;

an adjusting member rotatably engaged with the stud so that a rotation of the adjusting member in a first direction causes the distance between the mount and the adjusting member in the axial direction to increase while a rotation of the adjusting member in a second direction causes the distance between the mount and the adjusting member in the axial direction to decrease; and

a rolling member rotatably mounted to the adjusting member, the rolling member being rotatable to rollingly support the object.